aSTRAY
by BlackPANDA xD
Summary: HIATUS ...the manipulation and creation of invisible blades," After an attack from villagers, Naruto awakens his bloodline. From blue, to red, to black, what would Naruto do with his newfound power?
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

The night was cold, and the stars glinted brightly against the dark sky. The full moon was tinted a blood red, and the light shone dimly onto a large forest. Animals huddled together for warmth, their breathes ragged and visible as a mist in the air. The trees themselves were silent, and only the slight stir of the wind through the leaves could be heard in that forest.

But deep in the middle of the stands of trees, was a village. It was an uncommonly large village, and their lights shone brightly in the darkness of the night. Their laughter and cries of joy was so alarmingly different from the rest of the world.

Because there was a festival. A celebration. And everybody could feel the excitement in the air, as they danced, and laughed, and played, and sung. As the little kids bought tiny trinkets and ate hand spun cotton candy. As the adults laughed together, and toasted to a great night.

The world was asleep, but the people didn't care. Because it was a festival. They were finally free. Was it so wrong to celebrate that? And so, they continued with their happiness, oblivious to the coldness of the rest of the world.

But there was one man, so different from the rest. He wore a dark reddish black cloak, the hood completely hiding his face. He bowed his head low to the ground as he walked down the laughter filled street. Away from the Hokage Mountain, which he had just left.

And this man, so different from the rest, avoided the people, and went to the reality of the world. He found himself at the gates of Konoha, and just stood there, alone, away from the laughter, away from light, and consumed by the silence.

And without a backwards glance, the man left the light, and turned to the reality of the world. He walked with quick and sure steps, as he entered into the trees, and his figure was soon disappearing into the darkness.

The night was cold, and stars glinted brightly against the dark sky. But only one person, in the entire world, could feel it.

**~xXx~**

It was morning in Konoha, as the light of the sun finally broke through the horizon and into the clear, light blue sky of the morning.

A small figure walked through the deserted street. This figure had strikingly dark raven hair that stuck up in the back. He didn't pay attention to the discarded litter on the ground, or the festival lanterns, still swinging high on the rooftops. His dark eyes eyes, partially hidden by his long bangs, had its sight on one thing alone. A lone, dreary apartment, that stuck up against the calm and bright background.

But when he came closer, he realized that something was wrong. The apartment felt abandoned and his steps became quicker and more desperate. To the figure's shock, he could smell the disgusting odour of alchohol and explosive powder in the air and he began running through the stairs.

When he reached his destination, he slammed open the door, and froze. The apartment was filled with mangled corpses lying everywhere. Their heads were completely missing. No, their heads weren't sliced cleanly off, it was more like as if somebody stuffed a grenade in their mouths and detonated it, judging by the amount of blood splattered against the walls.

The figure stepped numbly into the apartment, when his foot suddenly broke through the wooden flooring. He hastily withdrew his foot, and found, to his surprise, that it was a loose floorboard, and inside, was a single black book.

The figure curiously took out the small book, and with trembling hands, opened it, and began reading.

_To whatever curious reader that finds this. In this book is my life, with all the details, and thoughts that I could think of. I left this behind so that people might, one day, understand why exactly I did what I did. Why I acted like I was acting. _

_If this is Sasuke that picked up this book, then, teme, I have one thing to say to you. Get over that emo crap and start living your life for kami's sake. _

Sasuke, for that was the figure's name, stared at the familiar writing, before looking at the bottom of the page, where another sentence, written suspiciously in what looked like blood, was scrawled on. The words itself were written in a different penmanship.

**LOOK UP UCHIHA. **

Sasuke quickly glanced upwards, and felt his eyes widen as he saw the tens of thousands of explosive paper notes stuck to the ceiling, their ends burning rapidly, and triggered by a long wire that, to Sasuke's horror, was attached to the book itself.

A long way away, at a large red tower almost underneath a massive cliff, the Hokage jumped in shock as he felt a large tremor coming from Naruto's apartment.

-

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This is my life. This is my story. Believe it.


	2. Chapter 1: Cold Blue Eyes

**aSTRAY - Chapter 1: Cold Blue Eyes**

* * *

"_If your life has no purpose, then you're already dead," _-Kiba [Wolf's Rain]

* * *

**I**

_Let's start from the beginning, shall we? I guess when that sign fell, that's when things started. I could never resist my stupid hero complex. It just felt natural, I guess. Even now, years later, I still have such a noble head, and won't refuse any kind of call for help. It's one of the only things, really, that I share with my dobe persona._

You might be thinking, what am I talking about? What dobe persona? I'm not the stupid dead last you've always known. I'm not loud, I'm not obnoxious, I'm not like anything you've always thought of me. The mask was a shield, and yet, as Kano said, it attracted people. It was one of my hidden abilites, people naturally flocked to me. Well, once they got over the oversized rabbit living in my head. 

_But why a mask? What the hell would make me need one in the first place? To truly understand, you would have to be Gaara, the one-tailed Tanuki, from Suna. You would have to be Yugito, the two-tailed Demon Cat, from Kumo. You would have to be me, the nine-tailed Kyuubi no Kitsune. We are jinchuuriki, a human sacrifice. We are powerful. We are cursed. We are feared. And you'll never understand that. _

_I used to be confused by all these events. But at 7 years old, this was the age of acceptance, when I finally decided to accept everything that would happen to me. I guess that's why I could get over things quickly. _

_But there are still some things I'll always deny. _

- Naruto

**~xXx~**

A small 7 year old boy was running clumsily down the alley, his dirty sandals stepping over large puddles, the splashes numbing his feet to the bone. Heavy raindrops drilled onto his normally spiky blonde hair, the ends weighed down with water, dripping from his bangs into his eyes. Those large, brilliant blue eyes darted from side to side, searching endlessly for a shortcut, a pathway, anything to get them off his trial.

He was being tailed. It was a normal occurrence for him, but this time, he might not be able to get away. Since they happened a lot, he used to have a bodyguard, he called him Idiot-san because he, to put it bluntly, really sucked at his job. The boy suspected that he was doing it on purpose, and learned never to depend on him.

Usually, he was able to hide until they left, but now… There were _chunin _and _jounin _following him too. All of his tactics, and hiding spots were quickly discovered and there was only one place left to go to. The Hokage tower….

Would he make it?

Naruto, for that was the boy's name, ran faster, spurred on by desperation. Suddenly, he slipped on the slick, muddy grass, falling heavily onto the ground. He lay there, his breathe ragged, thinking of what happened to led up to this.

It just… didn't make sense….

**FLASHBACK:**

Naruto was walking down the road, his gama-chan in his pocket. Whispers followed him, as even now he was drawing in attention.

A large, slightly fat man purposely shoved into his shoulder, the force knocking him to the ground. "WATCH IT, BRAT!" he growled. Naruto plastered a huge grin on his face, which only seemed to annoy him further.

"Sorry, sorry," Naruto piped up, with politeness. "I wasn't watching where I was going." The conversation seemed to attract people, who kept shooting glances at the pair. The man gave him one last dark look, before stomping past him, managing to step painfully on his foot on the way. Naruto kept smiling at him, seemingly not bothered in the least by the pain.

Suddenly, two small blurs bumped into him, and they all crashed into the ground. Bemused, Naruto rubbed his head gingerly before looking at the person, no, two kids, in front of him. They were only around 4 years old, and were wearing bright red beanie hats over their brown hair.

They scowled at him for interrupting what was probably a game of tag, before running off again. Rolling his eyes at their rudeness, Naruto picked himself off the ground before walking off.

"AAAAAH!!!"

Eyes widening, Naruto snapped his head towards the scream, his smile immediately disappearing. Above the Konoha bookstore, a enormous wooden sign, bearing the words, _'Blue Serein,' _had broken off from the rooftop, falling at a breakneck speed towards the two kids he had bumped into. The villagers around him, mostly only the elderly, and kids, screamed warnings at them, who were too engrossed in their game to pay attention.

The world seemed to go in slow motion, as Naruto raced over there. His hero complexion took in the facts: 1. There were no ninja around the marketplace in the mornings, meaning no one else was going to save them. And 2. With only small stubby legs, he wasn't going to make it in time.

Naruto stubbornly denied the facts, he had to save them!! Blue eyes stared desperately at the falling sign. Why couldn't it just go away!!? Pushing aside shocked people, he screamed.

"STOOOPP!!"

The sign disappeared in a swirl of black threads, before Naruto fell into unconsciousness.

**~xXx~**

"I think he's waking up…."

Naruto groaned. Why was he feeling a pounding headache? He reluctantly opened bleary eyes, staring up at a nearby blurry object obscuring most of his vision. Slowly, his vision cleared, revealing the worried face of the Sandaime.

The Sandime shooed away the nurse, before turning back to Naruto.

"Naruto? How are you feeling?" The Hokage asked in a worried tone.

Naruto blinked, before glancing at the surroundings. He was in fluffy white bed, and the room smelt of antiseptic. He was in a hospital.

Naruto turned back to the Sandaime. "Ow," he piped up bluntly. He was rewarded when Sarutobi chuckled, his face visibly relaxing.

"Do you remember what happened, Naruto?" he asked.

Naruto shook his head, immediately regretting it as it sent new waves of pain into his head. Seeing Naruto's grimace, Sarutobi continued in a gentler tone.

"You suddenly collapsed in the middle of the street… The doctors said it was severe chakra exhaustion…" he continued in a more serious tone. "Do you know why?"

"Chakra…?" Naruto asked slowly in confusion.

"It's the energy source of our bodies," Sarutobi explained.

Naruto nodded his head, slowly this time, in understanding. Slowly, the memories came back to him. The sign…. What exactly happened? His mind raced over the possibilities, although none of them made much sense. He glanced up to see Sarutobi's expected face, and realized he was suppose to say something.

"Are the lil' people okay?" Naruto asked suddenly, waving his arms in a panic.

'Lil' people?' Sarutobi echoed in amusement. "Do you mean the two little boys who told me that you were lying down in the middle of the street? Why wouldn't they be?"

"Huh…? What happened to… ah never mind," Naruto faltered, looking up at his only parental figure in his life. His eye threatened to twitch uncontrollably. How could they NOT be? They were almost hit by a frikin' 10 metre long sign!!!

Sarutobi sighed worryingly, and Naruto felt a pang of guilt for making oji-san come all the way to the hospital to visit him, forgetting for a moment what he was going to ask. The feeling felt really odd though, like it was a foreign feeling. Before he could ponder that, Sarutobi stood up slowly, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"I have to go now, Naruto, come visit me when you feel better, okay?" he said with a small smile, before leaving out the door.

Naruto stared at his retreating back before snuggling into the bed, trying to ignore the steady pounding in his head. Chakra exhaustion sucked. Soon, only the pitter patter of the rain hitting the window was heard, and Naruto fell into a light slumber.

**~xXx~**

"Get. UP!"

Naruto opened his eyes, as he was roughly awakened by a pair of hands forcibly shaking him in consciousness. Looking up with groggy eyes, he saw the nurse that was here earlier with oji-san, sneering down at him with utter disgust.

Nodding obediently, he quickly got off the bed, changed, and was practically shoved out of the room. Still slightly sleepy, he walked clumsily down the empty hall. Naruto, with a panicked jolt, realized the time, it was around midnight and pouring outside.

Naruto felt a ping of dread rise up in him. The nurses had released him at this time for a reason, the drunken villagers. For some reason, the villagers always thought of him as dangerous at night time, and every night, Naruto had to avoid going outside at this time because if he got caught by them…. Well, it would be really unpleasant.

But it wasn't like he was evil, it wasn't like he was a demon or anything.

….Right?

Sure enough, as he took only 5 steps out of the hospital, he heard shouts coming in his direction.

"THERE HE IS!!"

"OVER HERE PEOPLE!!"

Swearing profusely, a trait that he had gotten from many drunken people, he ran the opposite direction, taking random turns in hopes of losing them.

Running down the deserted street, he found himself in the same place where he lost consciousness. Suddenly, he skidded to a halt, eyes looking in disbelief above the Konoha bookstore. The sign wasn't there, it didn't even look like it was placed there in the first place. Like it didn't even exist….

In fact, Sandaime didn't look like he knew that the sign had miraculously disappeared… The two kids had told Oji-san that he had only collapsed, and not that he was racing over there to save them… What the _heck_ was going on??!

Angry voices reached his ears again, and Naruto broke out of his thoughts, and ran off again.

**xXxXxXxXxXx FLASHBACK OVER xXxXxXxXxXx**

He was surrounded. They were all shinobi, their forehead protectors proudly bearing the Konoha symbol. Their breathe stank of alcohol and their expressions were twisted into triumphant sneers. In short, stereotypical drunken men.

"We all heard of what happened, demon-spawn…" one of them sneered menacingly, slowly licking the blade of a kunai grasped in his hand.

Naruto's eyes widened a little. The man was a chunin, with the common brown hair and brown eyes of most of the villagers. But most importantly, were his blood shot eyes, his hair tied into a messy loose ponytail, and the fact that he recognized him. It was his bodyguard, Taichi, also known as Idiot-san.

"My kids saw it… Your cursed eyes were turning red as you were glaring at them!!" One screamed down at me in a panicked voice.

"We shouldn't have put so much trust in Hokage-sama!! It's time… YOU DIE!!" Five men charged at the small boy, his eyes shut tightly.

**~xXx~**

Jiraiya sighed in contentment. It was the time. After many years, he had finally finished his newest novel, 'Icha Icha Paradise,' He had a feeling that this one would launch him to stardom. Why, even the pouring rain wouldn't crush his spirits right no-

_CRASH_

A small kid bumped straight into him. He looked scared, and was breathing harshly. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. Where were this brat's parents and why would he be let out as such an hour? And besides, what kind of a kid bumps into someone on a deserted street?!

The kid looked up at him, his red eyes widening in recognition under the blue cap he wore. _From the Yuhi clan? _Jiraiya mused silently.

"Jiraiya-sama!!" the kid exclaimed in awe. Jiraiya felt a large grin form on his face. Ah, so even the brats of Konoha has heard of the great toad sannin?

"Jiraiya-sama…. Boy… blood…. Screaming….." the kid babbled in a panicked voice. The grin faltered a bit as Jiraiya took an actual look at him. The kid was probably around 5 years old, and wearing a blue cap over black hair and red eyes. With his wide eyes, and ragged breathe, he looked like a genin after his first kill.

"Speak up, gaki," Jiraiya said firmly, placing his hands over the kid's trembling shoulders.

"There's…" the kid said, his voice shaky. "B-back near the marketplace alleys… There was a boy my age… He was getting b-beat up by drunken villagers!!! _Blood_… _everywhere_…" Jiraiya felt the beginnings of unease in him. Drunken villagers? A _boy_…?

"What was his hair color?! Tell me!!!!" Jiraiya demanded, looking straight into the kid's large eyes.

"I-I'm not sure… But I think it was a bright yellow.."

The kid yelped in shock as Jiraiya disappeared in a sudden gust of wind. His tearful red eyes followed the quickly retreating figure. After a few seconds, the kid straightened up, his breathe suddenly becoming normal again. His once frightened eyes were shadowed in the cap he wore. It was like he was an entirely different person.

With a sudden rush of speed impossible for one his age, he slammed a fist into the wall next to him, the stone crumbling easily under the assault, leaving a bare hole. He disappeared.

**~xXx~**

**Fear. Dread. Panic. Pain. Hopelessness. Anxiety. Pain. Despair. Pain. **

But most of all, there was pain.

He wasn't very fond of the color red. It reminded him of many things during his childhood. Memories of the agonizing sound of blades ripping through flesh, sadistic smirks seen through hazy eyes, lonely minutes, days, nights, years…

No, he did not like the color red. Yet it defined him. It covered him.

If there was a list of memories he could never forget, numbering 1 to 5, this one would be number 5.

Naruto coughed out blood from his mouth. They surrounded him, their eyes full of satisfaction. It used to be ignorance, hidden contempt, but now…. They really wanted to kill him.

He was strung up on his hands onto the wall by kunai, the blade so sharp, it dug into his hands with his every movement. A cruel parody of the crucifix. Bruises littered his small body, and his hair was matted with so much blood, it was hard to distinguish the yellow from the red. The once white shirt was tattered, revealing shiny raw burns on his shoulders, and arms.

A single deep slash went through his ribs, deep enough to show the white bones gleaming in the moonlight. Some of the broken ends and flesh were blackened black and burnt, so that he wouldn't bleed to death. Naruto was breathing shallowly, his life leaving him with every exhale.

"This. Is. For. My. SISTER!!" Drawing a katana, the man advanced on the hanged Naruto, and slowly began peeling the skin off his fingers, one by one, a grimy hand muffling his screams.

"Not so powerful, now, AREN'T YOU?!" Spit hit his face, mingling with the blood.

"Hahahahaha, look at the abomination bleed!"

Naruto looked up, his brilliant blue eyes, the only color other than red on the child, staring unblinking at them. A shiver went through the drunken men, sobering them for a moment. Those eyes were full of pain, and despair, a sin to have on a child.

"You know what…?" Naruto said slowly, as if realizing something. Abomination…. Demon spawn…. A near nonexistent crack appeared in his cheerful mask. For the first time, despair wrecked through him like wildfire, the hated looks, the agony of every word, every whisper…. A quiet but heartbreaking, hysterical laugh bubbled up in him, startling the men.

Blue…

"If everybody hated me…. Loathed me.. Rejected me…."

He was only 7 years old. Did other children his age have a life like his? No, a kid his age wasn't suppose to live alone, taking care of himself. A kid his age wasn't suppose to have 17 murder attempts on his life for the past year. Why the secrecy? Why the hatred?

What the hell _was_ he, anyway?

_Red…_

"…Why….. Why did I even exist in the first place?!"

_**Black. **_

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Sickening. That was the first word that came to Jiraiya. No, it wasn't a war zone, no, it wasn't a torture chamber… But it might've just as well been one. In actuality, the scene in front of him was a fucking typical night out for the Konoha villagers.

"NARUTO!" Jiraiya screamed in horror. Anger. And Guilt. Just what did he leave here in Konoha? Just what kind of a life did Minato leave his son to? Killer intent drove out of him in one vicious course, leaving the drunken men frozen in fear, some pissing their pants. _Good. _With a speed known only to a sannin, Jiraiya viciously attacked them, rasengan in each hand, mercifully only at half power, launching them into the walls with a sickening crunch.

Tears came unbidden in his eyes, as he glared with fury at the fallen drunks.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE ALL DOING?!" Jiraiya screamed, losing his composure completely. "YOU FUCKI-" Jiraiya stopped, gritting his teeth, chakra pulsing out of him in waves, most likely alerting the Hokage. He turned his head, fearful of what he was going to see.

Naruto… _Naruto _was still pinned to the wall, the blood dripping down the wall like rain. His head was leaning into his chest, and it looked like as if….

"Narut-" Jiraiya started in panic, racing over there.

Naruto's face snapped upward, and Jiraiya saw dark red, almost black eyes staring back at him. They were deep voids, eyes of the dead. Suddenly, red slits appeared in those dark pupils.

"**GET. AWAY. HUMAN." **said a menacing deep voice not belonging to Naruto. A burst of red chakra pulsed through the alley, the deep evil and sickening feeling of it warning him to stay back. For a brief heartbeat, Jiraiya stood there, staring with unease at those strange eyes.

Pain exploded on Jiraiya's body as cuts slashed through his arms and body. He got knocked off his feet, as something or some things attacked him. Landing hard against a wall with a pained grunt, he was starting to get up again when a cool metallic _something _hovered close to his jugular, the sharp edge pressed so hard that it drew blood.

Something like fear swelled up inside Jiraiya as he made a startling realization. Whatever pressed against his neck, and those other things that attacked him… He couldn't _see_ them.

Was it the kyuubi? Or was it Naruto himself?

He slowly puts up his hands as a gesture of peace, and the eyes continued staring at him warily but then they widened slightly in recognition.

"…**Jiraiya," **the voice murmured before the dark reddish black colour faded from his eyes, replaced with a deep blue. Then Naruto fell unconscious.

**~xXx~**

Sandaime was at his office, trying to concentrate on the paperwork to no avail. His thoughts were on Naruto, who was lying in the hospital. Jiraiya, covered in cuts and blood, had barged into the office, dispatching all the ANBU guards on the way, and said bluntly,

"Naruto's in the hospital. Villagers were attacking him, hanging him to the wall…." here he gritted his teeth, forcing the words out. "by kunai dug into his hands. He's in a comatose state." Jiraiya's face turned stony as he glared hatefully at his sensei, who had long dropped his cigar pipe in shock. "We'll talk later, but right now.. I'm going to see my godson."

With one last look, he turned around, and left, slamming the door so hard, cracks appeared in the corners.

Sandaime buried his face in his hands. Naruto. He had underestimated the hatred of the villagers. What exactly had Naruto been through his life? What could he do to help him? Right now, nothing. No one was willing to adopt Naruto, except maybe for Kakashi, but he was in ANBU and was a teenager. With missions, and his inexperience, he wasn't suitable for parenthood. The counsel was already demanding a death sentence over the kyuubi's chakra pulse nearly felt through the entire village. He had already pressed charges for assault against the drunken villagers, who were handed over to Ibiki. But for Naruto… Sandaime's head rose up quickly as he got an idea.

Sandaime raised his left hand, and two ANBU immediately popped into his office, giving him a respectful bow. "Find Karasu and bring him here. Tell him he is needed on a solo S-rank mission."

The two ANBU nodded but one, Wolf, stayed behind. He appeared to be struggling for what to do, before finally collapsing onto a chair. Wolf slowly took off his mask, a gesture meaning that he was serious enough to break the ANBU code of never showing your identity. The blank face of Hatake Kakashi was revealed as he adjusted it to the side of his head.

"How's Naruto, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi said, the despair evident through his voice and how tight his grip was on the armrest.

Sandaime sighed, lighting his pipe again. "He's in the hospital right now, Jiraiya should be there with him." Kakashi nodded slowly, still not quite believing what has happened. "He'll live. But if it weren't for the kyuubi's chakra, I doubt that he would've survived this." he added.

Kakashi just nodded again, pausing as he considered the Sandaime's weary expression, before bowing and leaving through the window, the only evidence of his anger were the burn marks on the armrests of the chair he sat on, still smoking from the chakra he had accidentally released.

Sandaime stared out of the window, looking down at his village. Naruto is only 7 years old. They were blinded by hate and their loss. It was a wonder how Naruto was able to keep smiling despite the loneliness. Naruto's life and his future rested with Karasu.

"Hokage-sama. Karasu reporting for the S-rank mission." said a voice behind him.

Sandaime turned slowly. Karasu was an ANBU, still fresh as he had only taken 3 missions so far. His pale emotionless mask had black painted on it to look like a grotesque crow, intimidating and cold, yet it had an elegant air to it. He was only around 5'3, as he was still in his adolescent age.

"Take off your mask, Itachi-kun, this is an undercover mission. You must tell nobody about this, I am trusting you with my life…."

"Hokage-sama?" Itachi said in slight shock, adjusting his mask to the side of his head, revealing a young face with long hair tide in a short ponytail, and long ebony bangs covering his black eyes.

"What do you think of Uzumaki Naruto, Itachi-kun?"

"The jinchuuriki boy?" Itachi questioned politely. "Other than that mild chakra surge from before, which has a sound reason behind it, I don't see how Uzumaki-san could be considered a 'demon'." he finished before looking up at the Sandaime blankly, although anyone who knew the Uchiha prodigy would see the puzzlement in his eyes.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear," Sarutobi said with a small chuckle.

Itachi widened his eyes a fraction. Somehow, that small chuckle was more intimidating than even Kaa-san's glare.

What has he gotten himself into?

---------------------------------------------------------

Taichi shivered in the cold, limping towards his apartment. It wasn't fair. What did he do to deserve an interrogation with Ibiki, of all people?! Another shiver wrecked his body, this time in fear. The man wasn't human, that was for sure. He could still feel the effects from his last technique, his limping leg sending him waves of pain.

A 10,000 ryo fine. This was preposterous. Ibiki had looked like he wanted to give more, but thank kami for the council. They said that his actions were justified, and wasn't much of a major offence.

He only wanted to kill the demon. It was high time, after all. The demon had always called him, Idiot-san, and mocked him at every chance he got. Plus, the brat had finally shown his real self, a fatal mistake. Why did Hokage-sama let him live, even when he did reveal those cursed red eyes of his? The seal was slipping, that was for sure, yet was he still alive? Yondaime was a powerful Hokage, but he knew he shouldn't have put so much trust in the seal. Maybe he shouldn't have toyed with him for so long.

And Jiraiya-sama had to stop him too? The man must've gone mental after those long years away from Konoha. I mean, his team mate was that missing nin, Orochimaru, he had to have rubbed off of him.

After nearly tripping over his own feet from the pain for nearly the twelfth time, Taichi sighed, before heading towards the hospital for some painkillers.

The sight of the hospital made him widen his eyes in surprise. For above the roof, was a man with a guitar. Cliché? Maybe. But why he would be near the hospital made him wonder. Usually, he would be at the roof on top of the demon's apartment, and he would chat with him.

At first, he thought the man came to that particular roof because he had sympathy for him, the unfortunate bodyguard of the demon spawn, but then why would be at the hospital and not there instead?

Overcome by curiosity, the chunin walked up there, and approached the man. The mysterious man was wearing that all black outfit he always wore when he saw him, complete with a black cloak completely obscuring his face.

When he talked, he had the deep voice customary of ANBU. You see, ANBU members had voice changing chips on their masks to protect their identity. It was suspicious, but he really didn't care. If he wanted to kill the demon, he wouldn't object.

The only time he would actually show his real voice was when he sang. And sing he did, nearly every night, accompanied by his acoustic guitar. The man was talented, that was for sure, and practically the only distraction he had during the nights guarding the brat.

Taichi sat next to the man, who gave no movements of noticing his presence, too focused on playing a song. It was a lullaby, soft yet melancholic, and he was humming to it. Taichi smiled a bit, his angry rants about the demon in his head fading away as he calmed down. Even during the times he was playing above the rooftops of the demon's apartment, he always played lullabies for some reason.

The music ended, and the man tilted his head in Taichi's direction.

"Good evening," he greeted, absentmindedly plucking a few notes. Taichi nodded, waving a lazy gesture back at him. "Any reason you're here?"

"I'd say the same to you," Taichi shot back, leaning back against the hospital rooftops, inclining his head towards his companion.

The man fully turned his head towards Taichi. "I change places, sometimes," he answered quietly, still plucking a few strings.

"Needed painkillers," Taichi answered as well, and winced as a fresh wave of pain alerted him to his real reason of being here. He ignored it, he never missed a chat with the man, he was a very intriguing guy. "I was in a….. interrogation with Ibiki, don't ask." He sighed. "You wouldn't mind playing a song, wouldn't ya?"

The man whipped up his head at the mention of Ibiki, but cracked his knuckles at the question. "Hmmm…. Why not?"

Soon, the low but echoing sounds of him strumming his guitar filled the night, his sweet, low, but quiet tenor voice somehow managing to be heard above the guitar.

**Change…. Everything you are  
Everything you were  
Your number has been called…..**

**Fights and battles have begun  
……Revenge will surely come  
Your hard times are ahead**

**Best… You got to be the best  
You got to change the world  
And use this chance to be heard**

**Your time is now…..**

The music suddenly stopped, and Taichi felt a small amount of disappointment. Muse was one of his favourite bands, and when sung by that man, well, it was pure genius. If that man ever quit ANBU, he would've made a very rich musician.

"Gotta go," the man grunted, adjusting his guitar to his back. "Busy and all," Taichi grunted in agreement.

"I know what you mean, guarding that demon spawn is as frustrating as it can get." Taichi grumbled. "The pay was practically the only reason I did it."

"…ly come,"

"What was that?" Taichi called out to the retreating figure on the rooftops. The man didn't pause, but kept walking away.

"Revenge will surely come," he said quietly. For some reason, that sentence sent a chill down his spine. A little bit intimidated, Taichi made the mistake of looking up at him, and the sight made his blood run cold.

The mysterious man and Taichi kept meeting at night times. Taichi was fired as the bodyguard, replaced by an ANBU, but did stop to visit every once in a while, as he loved his songs. But he never did look him in the eye again, for they were cold as ice and simply unforgettable. He wondered how eyes could become like that, like as if the entire world had turned against it. He never dared to ask him though, the mere thought of them sent shivers down his spine.

_Frighteningly cold blue eyes._

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 2: Kano

Hey there world. I'm might proud of this chapter xD all though there is an excess amount of flashbacks in it o.O…. and POV changes in the last one, but I'll try to limit it okay?

**R&R**

* * *

**aSTRAY Chapter 2: Kano**

* * *

"_The past is the past… and the future is the future. A man is a man, and a woman is a woman. I am who I am, and you are who you are. Like it really matters anyway…" _-Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop)

* * *

**II**

_The 5 gates. To me, they were part of my mind, nothing more. But they were more important than that. It's like what I said. They were part of my mind, locked forever until I broke free. And only then, when I could truthfully say that I could go to the deepest parts of my mind, that I could go beyond that. Beyond my mind. But what exactly is after the mind? That's not important right now. But they will be._

_Don't be fooled by my seemingly innocence. Because I don't trust you, the reader of this book, to know everything yet. But as an act of trust, I'll give you a taste of my past. And of my future._

-Naruto

**~xXx~**

…_.Where.. Am I?_

Naruto opened his eyes, and what he saw wasn't exactly what he expected. He was in a sewer like hallway, with water sloshing around his knees. _(A/N It is suppose to be at his ankles but he's only 7 and he's short :P) _The creepiest thing about the place were the walls, the darkest black, cracked and peeling at many places like badly covered paint. A thick red substance, looking suspiciously like blood, oozed down from the walls, only to dry up before it reached the waters. The wall itself had many pipes, coloured blue, red, and black, traveling above it, the dark colours rushing inside it in frenzied waves. The colours, it seemed, lit up the hall in a dim, light purple tint. Looking up, the wall went as high as he could see, as it seemed to go deep into the darkness.

All in all, the place had a dark and intimidating miasma around it. Naruto, with a jolt, realized that he was in his mind, and was shocked. This wasn't exactly what he thought his mind would look like.

Nevertheless, Naruto was nervous, but bravely waded through the water, continuing down the hallway. As he walked, he kept silent, the only sound was the disturbed water echoing in the dark hall. It seemed like forever yet only seconds later when the hall split into different directions.

Now, Naruto had no idea what to do. The hall had split into 5 different ways, but it seemed like as if there were large chains on 3 of them, leaving him with 2 choices.

The right one at 3:00 was, to say the least, intimidating. It was bathed in a reddish glow, which seemed to pulse exactly like a heartbeat. Naruto sweat dropped as he looked at it, and steadied himself before looking at the other open way, hoping it wasn't worse.

The other open path at 9:00 was long and straight, and looked completely ordinary. Well, other than the fact that it was calling to him, because when he took a step towards it, whispers filled his ears, and although he couldn't understand what the meep they were saying, he felt a strange pull towards it.

Which to choose? Left or right? Good or evil? The choice of which path he would take would decide his destiny forever… Okay, that was a bit melodramatic, but _seriously. _The path with freaky whispering voices in his ears, or the one bathed in a blood red glow, pulsing like it was alive. Naruto sighed with frustration.

Taking a deep breathe, Naruto turned left towards the hallway with the voices, hoping to whatever God there was in the shinobi world, that he made the right choice.

Trudging through the hallway was easier than expected. All he had to do was tune out the voices, and the path didn't seem half-bad. Whistling a tune to drown out the voices, he faltered slightly when he recognized the tune. It was a lullaby. Soft yet melancholic…

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

I was stupid at that age. Stupid enough to believe everything they said. Stupid enough to believe that it would get better, that my entire life was just a stupid, stupid nightmare.

At that time, I still had my innocence. My childish curiosity.

Waking up in the middle of the night was normal. I guess it became normal, since I was an insomniac. I never did tell oji-san about it, he never knew that my nightmares happened every night.

People always wanted to live their dreams. I got mine in a twisted way. If I always dreamt of blood, of pain, of ignorance, and the same thing happened when I was awake, then, of course, I'm living my dreams, aren't I?

Like I said, I was stupid. A stupid 4 year old. One who cried every night, wishing to every single star in the night sky for something, just for anything to happen that was completely different from my world. Now, I know better. I know that a God won't help me. I know that crying is just a waste of your tears. It doesn't help, just makes you more depressed than you were before.

I guess it was around that time that I bought a knife. It wasn't anything special, just a normal kunai from the second-hand store. I guess I was fascinated about it. How the blood dripping down my arms contrasted so smoothly against my skin. The pain just a small price to the beauty of the colors. Soon, it became normal; like my insomnia. Normal enough that I took it to the next level. Oji-san would've been proud, I spelt my first word that day:

**D. **

**E. **

**M. **

**O. **

**N. **

Words were harder to do then a single line, it's like trying to draw a perfect circle on the wall using a nail. You may be wondering, why, though? Why words? Wasn't it more painful? Didn't it leave scars? Scars that would probably stay there for the rest of your life, constantly reminding you of your stupidity? I did it for one reason, and one reason only.

Childish curiosity, remember?

But then, the 'anything' I had wished for happened. It was the middle of the night, the moonlight peering onto the bed through the cracked window. At that moment, the most random thing happened. Someone was playing a guitar. Whoever it was, he or she was really good, the notes plucked expertly. The first song he/she played was always that same lullaby, so delicately beautiful and the most heartbreaking.

I never listened to the other songs that person played, if he or she even had any. I was fast asleep by that time.

If I was still awake at that time, I would've noticed that my kunai was missing. But strangely enough, I never noticed it was gone after I slept. For the first time in days, I might add.

That anonymous musician with a fetish for moonlight guitar playing was probably the key to my humanity at that age. Sometimes, I wondered why he would play on the roof of my apartment of all places. Maybe… I had thought. Maybe he was there because he knew what others didn't, he knew that I was sinking into a depression hidden from everybody else. Then, my curiosity would act up again, and there were many times during the night that I had argued whether or not to going up there to meet him.

But then the music would play, and I'd fall fast asleep before that thought even ended. And you know what? I think he did that on purpose.

**FLASHBACK END**

* * *

It was only after a few seconds that Naruto realized what he was looking at. Scrawled out over his left arm was the same scar he had engraved on himself, on his own skin. _Demon. _Long white bandages, the ones usually wrapped around his arm to hide the scar had fluttered lazily to the ground, floating on top of the murky water.

Naruto remembered when he had done it. It was the first time he had really noticed his healing factor, the way the cuts just seemed to close right in front of his eyes. He was obsessed with the pain, and kept digging into his skin, over and over and over again, until the scar had finally became permanent. The only testimony to his childhood, the only visible scar proof of his stupidity.

'…_do you have what we seek?'_

Just then, straight in front of him, Naruto saw something move, startling him out of his thoughts. He blinked furiously, trying to locate it again. Naruto made a choking sound of surprise as the deep dark space a few metres in front of him glowed suddenly with a dark yet warm light, somehow contrasting to the despairing blackness around him. It pulsated, like the slow heartbeat of a sleeping child, a steady glow that basked Naruto in a kind of warmth.

At that split second, the voices suddenly grew louder, echoing loudly in Naruto's ears, nearly making him buckle his knees.

'_If I was only there faste-'_

'_-protect your precio-'_

'_-been nice, k-'_

'_Get the hell off he-'_

'_I can't te-'_

'_-mi-san will have a shit about thi-'_

'_-mile for yourself-'_

"SHUT UP!!" Naruto shouted, his hands over his ears. Miraculously, the whispers stopped, leaving a dead silence in the room. Naruto looked around with a dubious look, still disbelieved that that had actually worked.

The breathe got caught in his throat as a blade found its way to his throat, appearing there fast as lightning. Or at least, he thinks it was a blade. The only thing he saw was the hilt out of the corner of his eye. Despite the urgency of the situation, he couldn't help but admire the work, the hilt was a silvery grey color, shimmering in the glow of the light. Thin but strong vine-like threads of silver wound its way up the invisible blade in an intricate pattern while two long ribbons of pure black silk fell down from the base of the hilt, completing the look.

Naruto was pulled out of his admiring by gentle voices, the words caressing into his ear, different from the loud echoes from before, as if it to compensate for his protest earlier. The blade dug deeper into his skin, drawing a bead of blood.

'…_do you have what we seek?'_

**~xXx~**

* * *

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Jiraiya's left eye twitched every second as he stared anxiously at the small figure in the hospital bed. It's been 2 days since that night, and he had practically never left his side, not even for peeking at the new hot springs that had just opened up.

….Okay, that was pushing it, but still, if Tsunade saw how the might Jiraiya has fallen to one of an anxious, fretful mother, she's be laughing her butt off. (And what a sexy butt that was too.)

Naruto's breathe hitched a bit, and his eyebrows furrowed in pain, catching Jiraiya's attention. He sighed, going deeper into a depressed slump, staring blankly at his godson's blonde face, so much like his father's.

Jiraiya got up slowly from the bedside. All of this pessimistic thinking was really going to get back at him one day, just as long as it wouldn't be wrinkles. Giving an involuntary yawn, Jiraiya staggered to the room door, intent on getting some coffee.

He was sauntering over to the cafeteria when he passed through the medication desks. His eyes raised up a notch as he recognized the person standing in front of it. Could it be..?

"Dammit, I just need some more painkillers! Lost the last bottle yesterday," called the exasperated voice of Taichi from the front desk. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy this.

Quick as a flash, Jiraiya appeared behind Taichi, who froze in fear, a kunai directed at his crotch.

"Hellooo, Taichi-san, remember me?" Jiraiya whispered in his ear, a crazy glint appearing in his eye. Taichi eeped in terror, before fainting straight away, a distinct dark patch forming on his pants. Jiraiya ignored the shocked look of the hospital clerk, shaking his head in disappointment. _This_ was a Konoha chunin? He was almost too disgusted to even use chakra to finish him off….

_Almost._

'_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!' _Jiraiya said mentally as he bit his finger, and with practiced ease, quickly formed the hand seals before slamming it on to the ground, intricate seals forming from his hands.

Poof. A bright yellow frog roughly the size of Jiraiya appeared. He waved lazily at Jiraiya with a webbed hand, looked down at the sprawled unconscious form lying down beside him, and looked back up at him with amusement.

He gave Jiraiya one last one-armed salute before sticking out his tongue, wrapping it roughly around the unconscious body, exceedingly careful not to touch the pants. The hospital nurses looked at the scene with a stupefied expression as the toad slowly spun in full circles, gaining momentum with every spin. Suddenly, he let go of the body in midspin, and Taichi crashing through a wall with a loud crash, and sailed away into the horizon.

Jiraiya shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand, gazing at the quickly disappearing dot in the sky with a sigh of contentment before walking briskly to the front of the cafeteria line, dispatching the summon frog simultaneously. The people behind him were smart enough not to protest.

"One black coffee, please!" Jiraiya said cheerfully, slamming the coins onto the front counter.

The cashier took one look at the crumbling wall, and another at the grinning sannin, before dashing away to fill his order, forgetting the coins on the counter.

Later, rejuvenated by the caffeine, Jiraiya stretched and headed back to the cafeteria line, intent on getting some onigiri, the half finished coffee held loosely in one hand. Being wide awake was such a wonderful thing, for it gave him optimism. :D! The sun was shining, (through the hole in the wall) the birds were chirping, and who knows? Maybe Naruto would wake up tod-

CRASH!

A small red blur suddenly crashed into his backside, and with a silent cry of dismay, Jiraiya watched horrified as his coffee fell out of his grasp, falling down onto the ground with a dramatic thump.

Jiraiya turned around, anime tears in his eyes, and was about to give the stranger a piece of his mind when his eyes widened in recognition.

"YOU!"

"Oh! Jiraiya-sama!"

Sprawled on the ground, grinning ear to ear, was the same boy Jiraiya had bumped into 2 days ago on that night, still wearing that familiar blue cap over his spiky black hair. He bowed low, nearly touching the ground.

"Gomen! Gomen! You see, I wasn't watching where I was going, actually I do that a lot." he chatted animatedly, still facing the ground. "Why yesterday, I bumped into Kaa-san while doing the laundry, and- oh! Jiraiya-sama!"

Jiraiya turned away briskly, trying to escape the babbling boy. With a groan, he realized he was following him, the boy literally skipping to keep pace. Suddenly, the kid's legs got tangled together, and he let out a yelp as he crashed into the floor. Eyebrows raised, Jiraiya glanced at the laughing boy- _laughing_, he was actually laughing!- before continuing walking, trying to hide an amused smile in his hand. (1)

Jiraiya had no idea why the kid made him worry. Other than Naruto, he had wondered if the kid had managed to get home safely. That night, he looked scared shitless, his red eyes wide with fear. It was probably his first time seeing so much blood… Now it seemed that he was back to his real self, though he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

They waited in the cafeteria line (Jiraiya had finally remembered that cutting in lines was BAD) in a peaceful silence…. Just after that thought ended, the boy began shifting from right to left, humming a cheerful tune. Desperate to shut him up,- the boy was getting adoring looks from the nurses- Jiraiya asked him the first question that popped in his head.

"Oi, gaki. What exactly are you doing in a hospital?" Jiraiya asked.

The 'gaki' spun around energetically on his heels, before giving Jiraiya a thumbs up. "I'm visiting Naruto-kun!!"

Jiraiya looked at the kid in a new light, genuinely happy that Naruto had a good friend like him. Well, as long as his overloaded amount of hyperness didn't rub off of Naruto… A hyper Naruto, combined with his above average amount of endurance, would be a total nightmare… But still, the kid seemed like a good friend, Naruto hasn't had a single visitor apart from himself and Saruto-

"I mean I haven't met him before, but he seems like a nice guy!" Well, that thought just went down the drain.

Just then, the duo reached the counter, and as Jiraiya began to think of what kind of onigiri he would get, he asked the boy another question.

"If you're visiting Naruto… What are you doing in the cafeteria?"

The boy blushed sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, I rushed here this morning, and skipped breakfast." With that reply, he sauntered up beside Jiraiya, standing on his tips of his toes to peer over the counter. Suddenly, he gave a exclaim of surprise.

"Sugoi! They have 5 different flavours of ramen here!" The boy jumped up and down in joy, before turning to the cashier lady, who was looking at him with hearts in her eyes. "Ano… Two bowls of your finest chicken-no, _pork_-no, miso ramen please, Cashier Lady-san!"

He dug deep into his pockets, before opening his hands, revealing…. Lint. The boy stared blankly at his hand, before looking up at Jiraiya, his red eyes sparkling in a sudden light.

Jiraiya's eyes twitched, his eyes averted. But even man cannot withstand the puppy eye jutsu, and he half-heartedly gave him a few coins. The cashier lady happily accepted the coins, before handing over the 2 bowls of ramen.

Jiraiya stared in astonishment at the size of the bowls. One alone was equal to the size of the boy's head. How was he going to finish two?!

"Do you really think you can finish two, gaki?" Jiraiya exclaimed, voicing his thoughts out loud.

"No way, Jiraiya-sama! One is for me, and one is for Naruto-kun, because, y'know, he just woke up,"

"_WHAT?!"_

Jiraiya sped off in the direction of Naruto's room, leaving the boy with a sense of déjà vu at seeing the quickly retreating figure. The smell of the ramen soon distracted him, though, and he took a delicate sip at the broth.

"Nyaa, it's still hot,"

**~xXx~**

* * *

Jiraiya opened the door with an audible creak, and poked his head inside. His heart sank when he saw Naruto flinch at seeing him, but he masked it with a large smile.

"Ano…. I think I remember you, you saved me, ne?" Naruto pressed. "Arigatou, mister, umm…"

Jiraiya sat down heavily onto the chair beside the bed, running a hand through his shaggy white hair. Best get it over with now than later on. He stared nervously at the tiled floor.

"I'm… your godfather."

At seeing Naruto's blank look, Jiraiya mentally panicked, a chibi version inside his head screaming hysterically while running around in circles. What was he, stupid? He just had to be blunt, didn't he?!

"I see, what's your name?"

Whatever Jiraiya expected, it wasn't that. He whipped his head around to meet Naruto's curious blue eyes, shocked that there wasn't a single bit of hatred, or resentment in them.

"Aren't you… mad?" Jiraiya gaped in shock. "I mean… You've had the shittiest childhood in your life, your supposed guardian came only after _7 years, _and all you can say is _what's your name??!" _he babbled. "I'm probably the worst fuckin' godfather in the world, I've ignored you, I've failed your father and-"

If Naruto was shocked at his swear words, he didn't show it. He just smiled genuinely, interrupting Jiraiya in mid-babble. "Uh, I can tell by your au- I mean, your speech thing, that you're feeling guilty about it. It's okay, really! It wasn't t-that bad. Ano, you must've had a reason for not being there." _For me._

Jiraiya could here the underlying words in that sentence, and the stutter at the end really didn't help the squirming in his stomach. Nevertheless, he gave a shaky grin at Naruto, which was returned.

"My name is Jiraiya," he grinned, deciding to leave out the 'other titles.' And with the way Naruto had just nodded in response, he most likely never heard of him anyway, Jiraiya added with a disappointed sigh.

"Soo…" Naruto began, looking at his newly proclaimed Godfather. "You said something about my father, right? What was he like?"

Although slightly panicked at the question, Jiraiya chuckled enthusiastically. "Your father… He was such a cool guy to hang out with. He had an air of respect around him, yet could put you at ease at the same time. He was cheerful nearly 24/7, and had this infectious grin so much like yours."

Naruto had a stunned look on his face, and smiled. "Really?" he asked excitedly.

"Yeah, in fact you share a lot of his qualities," Jiraiya laughed. "You even have the same love of ramen that he does."

Naruto smiled briefly before looked at Jiraiya in confusion. "How did you know that?" he asked.

"I actually know a lot about you," Jiraiya confessed, looking up at the ceiling. "I asked Sarutobi to tell me all about you. He'd send me letters every week, so I'd know what's happening back here. I know your likes and dislikes, how tall you're getting, and that horrible orange suit you wear all the time."

"Hey! I happen to like orange!"

Jiraiya laughed at the pout on his face, which Naruto soon joined into a few seconds later. After their laughter died out, there was a pause of silence, before Naruto asked another question, this one more quieter.

"How did… they die?"

Jiraiya looked back at his godson, wondering how to answer that. That question had probably haunted Naruto for years. He must've wondered at some time in his life why he was an orphan. Did they die in battle? Or did they leave him willingly, too cowardly to take care of a child? Jiraiya decided to tell him the truth, or at least, part of it.

"It was during the kyuubi invasion 7 years ago… Your mother…. She died during childbirth and your father managed to get to see you just before he joined the battle. His body was never found." Jiraiya smiled sadly, looking at Naruto. "They were really excited about you.. When they found out that they were going to have a son, your mother was screaming so loudly, hugging your father and dancing with joy."

Naruto stared at Jiraiya in silence, before breaking out in a slowly forming smile, putting those words to memory. His parents hadn't abandoned him, they were happy to have a son, happy to have a family. For the first time, Naruto felt proud of his parents.

Naruto was about to ask another question when there was a knock at the door. Of all the people to come in, he really didn't expect a boy wearing a blue cap he had never met before to come in. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he gave a dramatic gasp of surprise at seeing what he was holding: ramen!

The boy waved energetically at Naruto, nearly dropping the ramen bowls in the process. He gestured frantically to the bowls, and an amused Jiraiya took them from him, and he collapsed onto the ground.

"Whew! Do you know how heavy those things are?! And I still had to walk EXTRA carefully so that I wouldn't spill." he huffed in annoyance, before grinning at Naruto.

"Hi, Naruto-kun, how are you today?"

At seeing Naruto's confused expression, Jiraiya rolled his eyes before introducing them. "Naruto, this is the gaki that told me where to find you. Naruto, this is…" Jiraiya paused, before looking at the kid. "Wait… What's your name again, kid?"

The kid smiled slyly under the blue cap he wore. "Sorry, Kaa-san said not to talk to strangers!" he said, sticking his tongue out at Jiraiya.

"Hey, what happened to Jiraiya-sama!"

"Gomen, gomen. But Kaa-san said that all old people are strangers, even if they seem nice to you," The boy replied innocently. "She said, and I quote, old men are horny, drunk, and perverted bastards."

Jiraiya stared down at him. Well, he couldn't compete with that logic. Sighing, he checked the time, and with a jolt, he realized he was almost late for a meeting with Sarutobi. Jiraiya gave Naruto one last ruffle on his head, ignoring his protests.

"I gotta go for a bit, kid. But I'll come back, okay?"

Naruto nodded, and Jiraiya disappeared in a whirl of leaves, leaving the two together.

"How are you feeling, ne?" The kid said, bouncing towards the chair Jiraiya had previously occupied. Naruto blinked at his hyperness, but answered the question nonetheless.

"Actually," Naruto said, stretching his arms. "I hardly feel a thing." The kid, if it was possible, smiled wide, and Naruto was surprised at the genuine relief he felt from him.

"So anyway," Naruto began curiously. "Why are you here? I mean, thanks and all for helping me from before… but I really hardly know you."

The kid leaned back into his chair, dramatically stroking an imaginary beard on his chin. "Truthfully, all I could think about the entire day was about the blood, the sickening sounds of knives cutting through you, the smell of burnt flesh…." he answered quietly, his eyes in a faraway expression. Naruto shivered, he could practically feel the despair pulsing out from him in waves. Not to mention that his fairly descriptive words brought back unpleasant memories. There appeared to be more to the bubbly boy than it seemed. (2)

"I HAD to make sure you were okay, or else my mind would've gone crazy," he continued, spinning the chair to meet Naruto's eyes. Red met blue. For the first time, Naruto saw the deep seriousness in those eyes, and for just one moment, he felt something black, _completely black_, from him, but it was gone a split second later.

Suddenly, the kid smiled cheerfully, and the serious moment was gone. "Well, at first I just wanted to check in and say hi, but you seem like a cool guy." He paused, then widened his eyes. "Hey, that rhymed."

"Wait…" Naruto began slowly, in both awe and shock. "You want to be friends or something….?" The kid bobbed his head as an answer. Trying to hide the warm feeling in his chest, Naruto laughed sheepishly. "Truthfully… I've never exactly had a friend before…."

Instead of looking at him with a pitying look, as Naruto feared him to do, he just aaahed loudly before saying, "WEEELLLL, it starts like this." He jumped enthusiastically out of his chair in front of Naruto, surprising him.

"The name's Kano!" He said, reaching out a hand. Naruto hesitated for a split second, before grasping it firmly with a bandaged hand.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" replied Naruto with a mischievous grin. The two remained there, still shaking hands, until Kano glanced over at the two steaming bowls lying on the table beside him.

"Want a ramen eating contest?"

**~xXx~**

* * *

"Ah, Jiraiya, you're finally here."

Leaping out from the shadows, Jiraiya scowled, and said, "Hey, I'm only late because the gaki finally woke up." Ignoring the chair, he leaned against the wall, closely watching the Hokage.

Although Sarutobi smiled at the news, there was still an air of tiredness around him. The attack must've hit him really hard, to see the very people he was protecting attacking a little boy. Either that, or the paperwork has been stacking up again.

"So, Jiraiya, what would make you announce a meeting with me?" Sarutobi questioned lightly, lighting his pipe with a fire jutsu.

"It's about what happened 2 days ago."

Sarutobi leaned into his desk, staring at Jiraiya's posture; his hands folded over his chest, a frown on his face. He was serious. "Continue," he said slowly.

Jiraiya exhaled loudly, before closing his eyes, clearly reluctant about talking about that night. "It.. Happened after I found Naruto. After I drove away the attackers, I tried to approach him, but then his eyes opened."

Jiraiya opened his eyes, staring at Sarutobi. "They were black. Not entirely black, like a sort of dark, dark red. Truthfully, they scared the hell out of me, like looking into the darkness at the bottom of a well. At first, I thought that the Kyuubi had possessed him, because they had the demon's pupils in them."

Jiraiya rolled up a sleeve, revealing some bandages. "Did you wonder why I arrived at your office all cut up? When I approached Naruto, the kyuubi's voice warned me to stay away, and he forced me back. I didn't even sense the attack when cuts appeared all over me. The strangest thing was that I could feel them, the cold metal of the blade slicing my arms open, the knife pressed against my throat…. But I couldn't sense them.. Dammit, I couldn't see them at all."

Sarutobi's eyes were grave. "Was it the kyuubi's doing?" he asked in a whisper.

"I don't think so," Jiraiya answered slowly, and his eyes widened as he continued. "When Naruto was falling into unconsciousness, the slits disappeared before the dark red, meaning…."

"A doujutsu," Sarutobi breathed, his eyes wide with shock.

"That's what I thought too," Jiraiya said grimly. "This could cause a serious panic attack on the village, if this gets out. If the villagers find out that the jinchuuriki has a bloodline limit, they'll become fearful about his new power."

"I see what you mean," Sarutobi said, rubbing his temples. "The manipulation and creation of invisible blades? Not to mention that there might be more secrets to the bloodline. People will be lining up to adopt him into their clans, and enemy villages will surely want his bloodline too."

"A repeat of the Hyuuga kidnapping incident," Jiraiya added with a frustrated sigh. The two fell into silence, each in their own thoughts. Jiraiya stood up abruptly.

"I'll take care of Naruto," Jiraiya said suddenly.

"You know you can't do that, Jiraiya," Sarutobi reprieved. "A 7 seven year old child cannot be taken care of by a sannin ninja traveling the lands for leads for Orochimaru. It's too dangerous."

"It's dangerous here too!" Jiraiya shot back, collapsing against the wall.

"Jiraiya…" Sarutobi said gently. "You know that you're the only reason why Orochimaru hasn't gained much power through these years. You've been stopping his every move for the past 7 years. What are we going to do if you just suddenly quit? You have a mission to do, _you know that_."

Jiraiya snarled, before banging his fist into the wall, making a dent in the wall. "I told him I was his godfather." Sarutobi's eyes widened. "How am I going to tell him that I have to leave, _again_?"

Sarutobi's eyes grew weary, his heart breaking over his student's misery. "Maybe, if we just told the village the truth about Naruto's past…"

Jiraiya's head shot up quickly. "No. Telling the village about Minato's secret will only make it worse. You and I know that…." Jiraiya sunk to his knees against the wall, and closed his eyes.

_Naruto, you have no idea exactly how much you are like your father…._

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

**~xXx~ **

"This is all my fault…" Minato whispered mournfully, his voice muffled by the hands covering his face. "I'm the worst father in the world…."

Jiraiya settled down beside his student, his heart breaking at seeing him finally break down. It has been three days… _Three days _since the assasination. Since Minato's son, his pride and joy, was killed by rogue nins.

He could still remember it vividly. It was around 4:00 am, when rogue nins had suddenly attacked the Namikaze residence. They were both just finishing dispatching the few outside the grounds, when a scream pierced the air. Minato had gone deathly pale, and literally disappeared, faster than a bolt of lightning, towards the house, with Jiraiya at his heels.

They arrived at his room just in time to see his face. That young, 5 year old face, an expression of sheer terror in his innocent blue eyes, before his head exploded in a burst of blood and gore, the body collapsing like a broken doll.

Minato had frozen for a single second, just one _single _second… before the world turned straight into hell. He screamed like a wounded animal, before throwing 5 shuriken at the attacker, viciously hitting him the arms, ribcage, and straight into his still laughing face, killing him instantly.

The rest of them had no chance. Minato was still screaming himself hoarse, slashing left and right, blood slicing out from their throats at a perfect 90 degree angle, some left twisted and barely alive, with only with the upper half of their bodies, left to die a slow and painful death. Screams were heard by the entire village.

It was only 4 minutes later, when the rain washed every trace of life left from the home, when Minato was left standing in the middle of the living room, caked in blood, and surrounded by mutilated carcasses… When only the silence of the rain was heard, the screams at last fading away….

It was only then, that he started to cry.

"Jiraiya-sensei…" Minato's dead voice whispered hoarsely, breaking Jiraiya out of his thoughts. "The ANBU…. They found this… lying with one of the bodies…" He held out a headband, and Jiraiya's breathe got caught in his throat. Chiselled into the metal plate on the front of the forehead protector was the symbol of the Village Hidden in the Rock.

"I know we're at war right now…." he stated numbly, staring at his hands. "I know I shouldn't be feeling this but…."

Minato looked up at Jiraiya, and he saw those brilliant cerulean eyes, once filled with laughter and a carefree air, now hardening. If Jiraiya didn't see the rest of Minato's face, he would've sworn that they were from a different person, for those eyes were cold and merciless, eyes that has finally tasted the bitterness of loss.

"I swear… I'm going to kill every last one of those bastards for what they did…" Minato said slowly, staring up at Jiraiya like as if he wasn't there. "Not even when they're begging for mercy… I'm going to kill every fucking one of them."

**-----**

There was a reason why the Hidden Rock held a grudge against the Yellow Flash. Why every parent was told to kill their child if they had blonde hair and blue eyes. For who could not remember that last battle between the Hidden Rock and the Hidden Leaf, when the Yellow Flash had single-handedly defeated an entire army in the span of a second?

Few knew that Minato had insisted on going alone. And even fewer knew that he gave a heartbreaking ghost of a smile after the last of them died. But only one knew that each of those rock ninjas were decapitated, their heads rolling on the muddy grass, their expressions frozen in one of sheer terror. That person was Jiraiya himself, who had burnt the bodies, only seconds after the Hidden Rock had surrendered to the war.

It was only years later that Minato finally let go of the past, and had another son. But this time, he took no chances. The wedding was held in secret, and the boy… The boy was given the surname Uzumaki, to prevent the tragedy from ever happening again.

It was such a cruel twist of fate, that even with all his precautions, even with all the secrets, that his youngest son still managed to have a painful life, burdened by the hatred of the same villagers Minato had given his life for, believing that they would look to him as a hero.

Uzumaki Naruto, the most pure and innocent boy with a painful past, the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the unknown son of Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage.

**~xXx~**

**FLASHBACK END**

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**TBC**

* * *

Okay, there might be some mistakes in this chapter, but I wanted to put it up as soon as possible… so yeah….

**Kano:**

Age: 5

Eye Color: Red (like Kurenai's)

Hair: Black, slightly spiky, but not by much. It is short, but covers his ears, slightly like Sai's, but a little longer and spikier.

Height: let's just say he's slightly shorter than Naruto.

Appearance:

Because he is an orphan, he wears slightly worn clothes, mostly in the colors red, blue, white, and yellow. Right now, he is wearing a red and white striped t-shirt with baggy black shorts. He constantly wears a blue cap similar to the one Yuki from Fruits Basket wore as a child. It partially hides his red eyes.

He wears brown sandals.

*note* I tried to make him as cute as possible, did it work? :D?

(1) - I can imagine this paragraph so well in my head, and it makes me laugh every time xD

(2) - you may be wondering what I meant by naruto feeling Kano's despair, but that'll be explained fully in the next chapter. For those who read the original story, you already know what it is.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter… I certainly did hehehe, theres a lot of talking, so I'm thinking of adding more action in the next chapter

Yes I know that Jiraiya used to leave Naruto before in the anime, but here, he had seen first hand what Naruto had experienced, so now, he doesn't want to leave.

Hope you liked the bit about naruto's past. He wasn't all accepting about it at first, and I wanted to explore on that.

I hope you also liked the minato thing. I never did know why he didn't just tell everyone about who Naruto's real father was. I mean, just b/c of assasins? Plz, since naruto is minato's son, ANBU will obviously guard him day and night then! I just didn't think that was much of an excuse so….

Yeah, I added the 'older son who died after an assasination' part to make the reason more better, y'know? I also wanted to explore on Minato's dark side, which was pretty cool to type.

Once again….

**R&R**

**-BLACK PANDA OTL**


	4. Chapter 3: What's Wrong?

does anybody know the currency for Naruto? Is it ryo or something? If my guess is wrong, please tell me.

And the Prologue is deleted until further notice, for I'm trying to redo it . .

Okay here's chapter 3.

Read and review please, they make me happy xD

(1) Karasu means crow in japanese

* * *

**Chapter 3: What's Wrong?**

* * *

"_Opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one and they stink,"_

* * *

**III**

_Karasu, my bodyguard. He was weird, always silent and gloomy. How stereotypical of an Uchiha. I don't know how I didn't see it before. But Karasu is more than a stereotype. As you'll soon learn, he has loyalty far surpassing most of the shinobi. Loyalty usually only found in a Hokage. Because a Hokage would willingly sacrifice his life for the village. Karasu has done that and much more._

Sometimes I wonder what would happen if he wasn't as loyal. If he was more power hungry and more willing to do anything for that power. But I'd scoff and dismiss that idea. Because an evil Karasu is just not Karasu anymore. The only chance of that happening is if he became mentally insane after his first A-rank assassination mission. I'm surprised he hasn't cracked at that time. He was 5 years old.

And Kano? He's just weird.

-Naruto

**~xXx~**

S-rank missions. Danger was nearly 100%. Most if not all shinobi coming back from those near fatal missions came back wounded or exhausted. Recommend for at least 3 jounin or a team of ANBU.

When Karasu (1) had gotten his first S-rank mission, he really didn't expect to be inconspicuously handing upside down outside a hospital window watching two kids eating ramen like there was no tomorrow.

Suddenly, he was alerted to a high amount of chakra rapidly heading in his charge's direction. His tanto was out in a flash, and Karasu stood there, all muscles tense as chilling, glowing red eyes stared out of the crow mask, searching through the oblivious civilians. After a stiff moment of silence, he relaxed, sheathing his blade just as a white blur landed beside him.

"Karasu," Jiraiya greeted stiffly, crouched upside down beside him. Karasu felt a small amount of nervous respect as he nodded humbly back at him. Right beside him was the Toad sannin, one of the three legendary sannin of Konoha, the students of the Hokage himself. And right now that sannin was glaring at him openly, sizing him up in the familiar way an overprotective mother glares at the babysitter.

_Nerve-wracking. _

A small tilt of his head of Jiraiya's head was the only thing he displayed to show his apparent approval. Karasu let out a breathe he had been unknowingly holding, and Jiraiya chuckled.

"I'm late as it is, there's been an info leak on my… the enemy, and I have to leave," Karasu nodded in understanding. "If Naruto has any plans on being a ninja, give him these scrolls," Jiraiya continued, before handing the ANBU guard 3 medium-sized red scrolls. Karasu saw a small note attached indiscreetly on the largest one, his client's words scrawled on the front.

Karasu lifted his eyes up when he heard the Toad sannin chuckle, and looked into the window just in time to see the ramen the two kids were previously eating accidentally knock down, spilling the semi-hot broth onto the hospital sheets.

He glanced at Jiraiya, seeing him staring intently at the laughing boy with the blue cap, trying and failing to mop the mess up.

"The gaki with the red eyes, keep an eye out for him," Jiraiya said suddenly. "Although I couldn't sense a henge, there's just something… odd about his chakra." he added, a thoughtful look on his face. Karasu nodded again, taking the warning to memory.

"Oh and Karasu," Jiraiya whispered dramatically, his serious eyes staring deep into Itachi's. "Remember, Naruto isn't suppose to know that he has a guard, protect him inconspicuously. I'm counting on you." Jiraiya disappears in a puff of smoke.

It's been a few hours after that day. Karasu was taking his mission seriously. After all, even if he was only protecting the jinchuuriki from random minor villager attacks, it was still his first S-rank mission.

He had already inconspicuously gave his client the scrolls, silently dropping it as they were too distracted with the 'ramen contest.' He had watched his client's expression reading the note, going from puzzlement, to shock, then a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

Now hidden among the leaves, Itachi watched the two kids, huddling next to each other in the training grounds, whispering suspiciously. Now, if only they were facing this way instead of turning their backs to him, he could read their lips.

Karasu mentally sighs as Kano smacked Naruto on the head. This was going to be a long mission.

* * *

_Dear Naruto. _

_I'm sorry but I had to make an emergency leave. Do you remember when you said that I must've had a reason to leave? I do. My old team mate and now S-class missing nin, is doing freak experiments and tests to try and get stronger, and eventually take over Konoha. I'm trying to stop him. _

_I'm sorry I couldn't say good-bye to your face. Guess your godfather's a real coward. I could say sorry again and again but there's not a lot of room on this napkin I'm writing on. _

_Included with this note are ninja scrolls for taijutsu, and basic ninjutsu/genjutsu theories along with 3000 ryo. If you are anything like your father, you'd want to be a ninja. Good luck. _

_Here's the important part: Naruto, you have a bloodline. It is one of the most dangerous I've ever seen so I want you to train with it. Train so you wouldn't accidentally killed someone. Yes, that happens. I'm researching as to how you have one, but right now, I'm guessing its through the Uzumaki clan, on your mother's side. Until then, do not tell ANYONE you have a bloodline, except for those you really trust. A bloodline this powerful could cause the third shinobi war. I hope you understand. _

_Lo-__ er, _

_See you kid, Jiraiya. _

Naruto felt a small smile form on his face. It was a strange feeling, to actually have a guardian looking after him, even if through a letter. Not that he didn't like it.

Suddenly, the meaning of those hit him like a jackhammer. He had a _bloodline_. This had to explain the strange voices and the floating sword in his mind. It explained the way he had, one day, wanted to cut an apple but didn't have a knife. Frowning in frustration, he was shocked when the apple suddenly split cleanly in half like as if an invisible blade had sliced right through it.

An invisible blade….? Wait, what the hell?!

"Uhh, Naruto-kun? Are you okay?" Kano questioned, repeatedly poking Naruto's shocked face.

Naruto hesitated. He had known Kano for one day. Could he tell him the secret? He was only 5, toddlers were known to babble a lot.

But was he really 5? Naruto recalled the many conversations with the little blue hat wearing kid. The way he had described the villagers beating him up was so… gruesome. Despite his bubbly appearance, Kano uses grammar beyond his years.

Wait, there was one thing he could do. After that night, he had woken up seeing a swirl of colors around him. It took him a while to adjust, and longer to learn that he could turn the strange vision off. He had to flinch when Jiraiya poked his head into his room, the dizzying swirl of dark green, yellow, blue, and black-grey recallING emotions of anxiousness, relief, and guilt nearly made him sick.

There was only one explanation for this: he could _'see' _people's emotional auras. What was the word for this... An empath? But.... If he could use that sense to look into Kano's aura, he might see if he was trustworthy enough.

Kano looked at Naruto in confusion as he squinted back at him, his eyes slowly smouldering as black red wisps covered his eyes.

Yellow… Happiness. Kano seemed really happy to be hanging out with him. A light silver grey…. Naruto mentally smiled. Loyalty, Kano really wanted to be Naruto's friend, and had already grown attached to him.

Naruto's eyes furrowed as he saw another color swirling rapidly in the middle of Kano's aura. He dug deeper, trying to spot it among the other colors. Finally reaching it, Naruto gaped in shock. _Black. _

_Smoke, everywhere. It blinded my already blurry vision, but I didn't care. I was leaping though the trees…. I was so close. _So close… _I had to make it in time. __One leap later, I arrived in a clearing. Trees were toppled down, mercifully hiding the many corpses lying underneath. The evil, bloodthirsty miasma of a red chakra hung heavily over the area, nearly buckling my knees. __Exhausted eyes darted upwards. A single ninja, the last among the one hundred dead reinforcements, bravely trying to defend the village. I lifted my head and saw it. __Nine tails, swirling unconsciously behind it. The orange fur, cloaked with the same demon red chakra; menacing, and foul. The head of an ominous fox with long ears, and a bloodthirsty grin. I stared grimly into the red eyes, the pupils slitted like a cat. _

_The grin widened. __**"Ho-"**_

"NARUTO!"

The blonde blinked, as the real world came crashing down around his ears. His heart raced, what was that? What did he just _see_?

"Uh, yeah, Kano-chan?" Naruto said absentmindedly, trying to clear his head.

Kano shivered. "Do NOT call me Kano-chan!!" he said fiercely, trying to look intimidating, but only managing to look cute. Naruto smiled. Whatever that was, it didn't matter.

"Kano-ch, I mean, Kano-k… You know what, can I call just call you Kano?" Naruto said in exasperation.

Kano smiled under his cap, though it turned out more like a grimace. "Okay, as long as you don't space out while I'm talking." he huffed.

"Okay, because I gotta tell you a secret," Naruto said seriously, beckoning Kano to come closer. Intrigued, Kano complied, plopping down beside him. Taking a deep breathe, Naruto whispered in his ear. "Well, I have a bloodline."

Kano's childlike eyes widened significantly. He opened his mouth to say something, but Naruto quickly covered it with a hand, making Kano mock-glare at him.

"It's suppose to be a secret," Naruto said seriously, shaking a finger at him. "Can you keep it?" Kano nodded, excitement gleaming in his red eyes.

The second Naruto's hand came away from Kano's mouth, he blurted out, "Can you tell me about it?"

Naruto complied, an uncharacteristic thoughtful look on his face. "I don't know a lot, but I'll tell you what I DO know. I can create invisible blades, and use it like kunai. When I do that, my eyes turn into dark red color. Also, I obtain another sense, like sight or smell, only I see the emotional auras of people."

Kano gaped in awe at his friend. "That's so cool! Is that why we're at the training grounds, to train?" Naruto nodded and Kano paused, a confused expression on his face.

"Wait, does that mean you want to be a ninja?" Kano questioned.

Naruto nodded, a painfully wide grin on his face. "I'm going to be Hokage one day." he stated proudly.

Kano nodded. "But why?" Caught off guard, Naruto paused before answering. That was the thing with Kano, sometimes he didn't react the way you would expect.

"I want to be Hokage so that people would finally recognize me! So that they would fina-ITAI!"

Kano had smacked him on the head, an uncharacteristic serious expression on his face. "That is a childish dream." He stated. "Being Hokage just for that reason is selfish. A Hokage is chosen, yes, for his power, but also for his selflessness. He has the responsibility to look after the entire village. To look after them, _protect them. _Just like the f-fourth.. Like the fourth Hokage, who sacrificed his life for the safety of his village! Are you willing to do the same thing in the future?"

Naruto was silent for a moment, struck dumb by Kano's accusations. Now that he thought about it, was his dream really that childish? Was he being selfish, wanting to be Hokage just for some respect?

_Was he willing to protect the same people who rejected his entire existence?_

Naruto hesitated, before nodding. An unreadable emotion formed in Kano's bright red eyes, before he smiled suddenly, and said, "Well, Naruto-kun, then I'll help you."

It was a strange sight, Itachi reasoned, seeing a 5 year old instructing a kid older than him on ninja training. The two friends have reached a sort of silent agreement, Kano would train Naruto and in return he would swallow his pride for following someone 2 years younger than him. The boy pushed him, making him do laps rivalling Gai's amount, even on standard shinobi training like tree climbing and water walking.

When Naruto asked how the hell Kano had known these things, he just vaguely replied, "Kaa-san taught me,"

The excuse was so unlikely, even Naruto knew it was a lie. He knew that Kano was lying for a reason, though, so didn't push it. Itachi on the other hand, became even more suspicious but without solid proof, he couldn't really do anything.

A few weeks later, Naruto had, with the help of his new 'sensei' mastered tree climbing and water walking, being able to do it like it was second nature.

"Okay!" Kano declared, after Naruto had done 30 laps around Konoha. Exhausted, and sprawled out on the ground, he gave a weak glare towards his grinning friend. Said friend gave him a thumbs up similar to Maito Gai's, handing him some water.

"We worked on your endurance, and your chakra control, so now, I think we can finally work on your," Kano paused, before crouching low, his eyes darting around before stage-whispering, "bloodline limit."

"Riight," Naruto replied sarcastically, gaining his breathe as he staggered upright. In a split second, he concentrated his chakra into his eyes, and the clear blue turned into a dead dark red, glowing in an otherworldly gleam.

Naruto nodded to Kano, and the next second, Kano began flinging multiple banana cream pies in the air, and Naruto's eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated. Suddenly, 2 of the 7 pies in the air sliced clean in half, the others being hit only on the tips or not at all. Gritting his teeth, Naruto waved an arm upwards, and the last pie exploded in a rip of cream and tinfoil before he plopped down onto the ground in exhaustion.

Currently watching the curious duo was Karasu, or Itachi, a slightly bemused expression on his face behind his crow mask, as he watched their antics. Where exactly did those pies come from?! Unfortunately, 5 aerial projectiles coming his way in an agonizing slow motion broke his thoughts.

With horror, he realized that the aerial projectiles were the remaining banana cream pies in the air, and secondly, he was currently crouching on a large thicket of bushes, the dead leaves underneath him, and the large leaves above him preventing him from moving without alerting his client to his position. Jiraiya's stern talk flashed in his mind.

.….He was screwed.

Karasu shut his eyes as 5 banana cream pies splattered on his face.

------------------------------------------------------

Naruto and Kano sniggered at the faint splat of pie heard from afar. It began a few days ago when Naruto was testing his new vision when he saw an aura from the trees behind him. It was his bodyguard. Sandaime oji-san had told him that he had a bodyguard, since Jiraiya couldn't look after him. Kano and Naruto were slightly annoyed and curious that he hasn't shown his face yet, and were determined to bring him out. Plus, Naruto hasn't ever tried to throw a pie in an ANBU's face before.

In short, they had known he was there in from the beginning.

A few more banana cream pies later, a small bird came, swooping around the duo before landing on Kano's head. Unperturbed, Kano happily stroked it's golden brown feathers, before taking a small scroll from it's beak.

Kano frowned as he read it. Suddenly, he snapped the scroll back into place, giving it back to the bird, who gave a quick nod before flying away.

"Sorry, Naruto!" Kano apologized, scratching the back of his head. "Kaa-san is expecting me back home." He paused before whispering in Naruto's ear. "Good luck on Guard-san."

Kano straightened up quickly. "See you later, Naruto!!!" He turned his head towards Karasu in the trees, as he ran off. "BYE GUARD-SAN!!!"

* * *

They… knew?

"_Oh and Karasu," Jiraiya whispered dramatically, his serious eyes staring deep into Itachi's. "Remember, Naruto isn't suppose to know that he has a guard, protect him inconspicuously. I'm counting on you." Jiraiya disappears in a puff of smoke. _

Oh, he was pissed.

* * *

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was night time and Naruto was bored. Kano had taught him the beginning katas of a taijutsu called Dance of the Dragon Child, which relied on a small frame and quick reflexes, speed, and endurance. Luckily Naruto had all of those requirements.

Training wasn't suppose to be boring. Going through the first form, he gained speed as he got used to it but he just wasn't into it.

He stopped for a breather, looking up at the sky out the window. It was raining, and the quiet patter of the rain hitting the rooftops was the only sound heard through the house. After being with a chatty person like Kano, the silence afterwards, something he used to be accustomed to, seemed so _lonely. _

Lost in his thoughts, Naruto made some ramen, slurping the noodles absentmindedly. The rain outside seemed to be growing steadier, until it literally pounded against the roof.

His thoughts strayed to his guard, probably sitting on a tree outside, in the rain.

"Guard-san, do you want to come inside?" Naruto called curiously out the window, sticking his head out into the downpour. There was silence.

He didn't know why he just snapped, but as he heard no reply, a tick mark appeared on his forehead. Naruto slammed open the door, and stormed outside, sitting on a log outside in the rain.

"Hey, Guard-san," Naruto grinned largely, despite the cold clawing at him. "If you don't come out here, I'm going to stay out here… But hey, aren't you suppose to take care of me?"

Karasu's eyes twitched as he watched the child waiting stubbornly outside in the rain. He'll play his game….

---------

After over 4 hours, Itachi was beginning to become worried. Naruto hasn't moved from his spot. How curious was his client? His stubbornness could rival his otouto's. With that thought, a small hidden smile formed behind the emotionless mask he wore. It quickly disappeared as soon as it came.

Naruto sneezed, his teeth chattering as he glared up at the green-ish grey aura in the woods. He slowly got up, aware of the painful numbness in his legs.

"I'm going to stay out here forever until you get here, dattebayo!" Naruto called out energetically. Suddenly, he staggered as his knees buckled under him. Naruto grimaced as he realized he was soon losing consciousness.

"Good-bye cruel world," Naruto whispered sarcastically. The last thing he felt before succumbing to the darkness was a pair of arms holding him up.

Karasu silently carried his client back into the house. He was really light, abnormally so. And deathly cold, Karasu thought, feeling a bit of concern. After drying him off and tucking him firmly into the blankets, Karasu just stared blankly at his now snoring client.

Of all the missions he had, it's been a long while since he had a babysitting mission, and that was way before when he was a genin. He really didn't have any idea of what he was suppose to do in this situation.

Karasu noticed a soaked bandage on his arm, and slowly removed it, expecting a wound. Staring at the scar, an unfamiliar emotion welled up inside Itachi. Sympathy. An emotion Karasu had always squashed, removing it to the furthest corners of his mind. Yet, this child had made then reappear again.

"_Demon_…" Karasu whispered, tracing the scar numbly. "How are you still alive?"

Suddenly, Karasu heard music, above near the rooftops. Slightly wary, Karasu went to investigate, but what he saw was not what he expected.

Sure, Taichi-san had reported an enigma musician coming on top of Naruto's apartment to play songs, but he really didn't expect it to be true. Yet, here he was, strumming his guitar despite the rain pouring down his guitar and clothes. Karasu could see wet strands of hair poking out from under his black hood, but it was too dark to see the color.

"Sharingan," Karasu whispered, and red eyes glowed from beneath the crow mask, staring at the man's frame. Nothing unusual, some off color marks on his limbs, but that could've passed as and old battle wound or skin disease.

Not one to be willingly in the rain, Karasu went back inside, not noticing the blue eyes staring at his retreating back.

* * *

"…_Do you have what we seek?" _

_It was darkness, everywhere. Naruto looked around frantically, searching for the voice. "What are you looking for?" Naruto asked in confusion. _

_All the voices laughed quietly, as if that was a stupid question. They all spoke together, "Don't act innocent, Child… We are looking for-"_

Naruto wakes up to sun rays glaring on his face through the curtain windows. He groans at the headache he has. Maybe staying out in the rain wasn't such a good idea…

Suddenly, a looming mask appears in front of him, making him yelp in surprise. The… creepy masked man silently handed him some porridge, before retreating towards a chair beside him.

Naruto sweat dropped, looking at the man and at the bowl in his hand, and then back again. He dipped his finger in the porridge warily and tasted it. It was warm and had a slight cinnamon taste to it.

Touched, Naruto happily eats the still warm porridge, giving random glances to the person sitting on the chair, silently staring at him. The man was wearing the uniform of the ANBU elite, and his mask portrayed the face of a grotesque crow. Raven black hair poked out from beneath the mask. He tries to feel his aura, but it was hard to find. He felt slight… amusement?

"Guard-san?" Naruto questioned warily. The man nodded stiffly, still staring at him.

"What's with the mask? I mean, do you get to choose what kind you get, because it's really creepy."

Silence.

"Uh, thanks for the porridge, anyway!"

Silence.

"… Your hair is really straight and long. Are you a girl or a guy?"

Twitch. Silence.

"Er… what's this lumpy stuff in here?"

Silence. "Cauliflower."

Naruto's ears perked up. _Success! He has spoken!_

"What's your name, ne?" Naruto pressed, bravely staring into the dark eyes beneath the mask.

The guard tilted his head a little to the side, as if contemplating the question. There was silence for a brief second, before he answered.

"Karasu,"

* * *

The next day, as Naruto and Kano began training again, Karasu looked over the pair on the roof in plain view, clearly not wanting another pie in the face.

After Kano congratulated Naruto on revealing the identity of the guard, they both began pouring over some of the scrolls Jiraiya had left. Naruto had already read the scrolls on ninjutsu theory and they were trying to decipher the barely legible words on the taijutsu scrolls. The scrolls had looked like they had been squashed, stomped on, and basically worse for wear, and combined with Jiraiya's already messy handwriting, they were hard pressed on trying to learn from it.

They come across a taijutsu called the Golden Dragon style, an improved style of the Dance of the Dragon Child which Naruto was already learning. Kano unfortunately was not familiar with the style, which was a surprise, since he knew a lot of taijutsu styles.

"Er… Naruto, does this say 'pat me,'?" Kano asked, eyes furrowed in concentration as he stared at the scrolls, his face a centimetre away from the scroll itself.

"I'm pretty sure that's a k, not a p…" Naruto replied doubtfully, snatching the scroll and glaring at it as well.

Tired of their constant chattering, Karasu decided to give them a nudge in the right direction.

"The word says kata," Karasu drawled from the rooftops, reading the words using his sharingan. "The scroll is referring to the first kata of the Golden Dragon style, by positioning your feet one behind the…" Karasu faltered.

Kano and Naruto gaped at him simultaneously, looking at Karasu in a sudden light. "Karasu-sempai…. Can you teach us…?"

Karasu blinks. It was one thing to be asked to teach a taijutsu. It was another to teach it to 5 and 7 year olds. He was ANBU, he wasn't suppose to teach them anything, only guard Naruto. That's it.

Was it because of their puppy-dog eyed looks so similar to Sasuke's, or the fact that he did not like being pestered? Whatever the reason, Itachi had no idea why he answered what he did.

"….Fine,"

**

* * *

**

**ONE YEAR LATER**

Naruto was about to enter his first day at the academy. Although Naruto had reached a sort of growth spurt, Kano, although six years old, looked no different in a year, still wearing that same blue cap.

Ever since Karasu has been guarding Naruto, attacks on him, accidental or not, were slim to none, and the rage of the ANBU Crow became feared among the kyuubi haters, to his satisfaction. All people threatening to do harm to Naruto were sent to the hospital with 2 broken arms, a shaved head, and an injured pride.

Itachi had no idea how, but they managed to crack his mask a little. A feat supposedly impossible except for Sasuke. It was Naruto's special ability, after all, to touch the hearts of everyone he met, even Itachi.

Karasu had even laughed once, when Kano had dyed Naruto's hair pink. It had shocked himself, and although it was only a quiet chuckle that lasted for a brief second, he had _laughed. _

Naruto was strong, that was for sure. Itachi had only told Naruto a few tips, but he had absorbed techiniques and directions like a sponge. He was fast approaching high genin level, even a low chunin.

Naruto had a dead aim, courtesy of the special doujutsu training Kano had him under. Naruto could manipulate 10 blades simultaneously. He had managed to master the blades enough to have a low chunin level speed. The blades could only exist 5 meters away from Naruto, but the range was slowly increasing.

In return, Naruto had taken off his mask when he was around them. It wasn't a physical mask, more of a mental one. Karasu was shocked that under the supposed obnoxious and overly cheerful mask, was a mature and mellow child with a sarcastic tongue. It was mind blowing.

Kano had looked royally pissed after Naruto had nervously explained that he showed it in public so much that it became second nature to wear it near people.

Kano had literally stormed off to a nearby training grounds, and Naruto and Karasu sweat dropped when loud explosions were heard from that area.

**-----**

"Sorry," Naruto had said to Karasu, an uneasy expression on his face. Karasu had shook his head, before flicking Naruto on the forehead.

"You shouldn't be," Karasu replied shortly, and walked off to his apartment. "When Kano comes back, tell him that we're having ramen for dinner."

Naruto smirked in amusement, though relief showed in his eyes. Rubbing his forehead, he walked casually off to in the Kano's direction.

"Oi, Kano-chan, you done killing the trees yet?"

"NO!" called out a fuming voice from the trees. "AND STOP CALLING ME KANO-CHAN!!!" Naruto rolled his eyes.

As Karasu read a magazine, waiting for the water to boil, and Kano vented his anger, one thought stayed in their mind.

Naruto had entrusted his secret to them, and they weren't going to make Naruto regret that.

**-----**

It was lunch time at Konoha academy, as Itachi watched Naruto chatting energetically with Haruno Sakura, a plain girl from a civilian family. Suddenly, he spotted a purple haired girl spying at the two from behind a tree, a bright blush on her slightly sad face. Hyuuga Hinata, spying on his client. An amused smile formed on Karasu's face, hidden behind the mask. Somebody has a secret admirer.

* * *

**LATER THAT DAY**

"Itachi-nii? You've been so busy!! Are we still having the shuriken practice later?"

Itachi looked up as he pulled off his sandals, and smiled at the hopeful expression on Sasuke's face.

"Sorry, Sasuke. I have an important mission that requires me to be away for most of the time…" Itachi faltered, seeing Sasuke's downcast expression. "I guess a few hours wouldn't hurt, though." he relented.

Sasuke smiles happily. "Arigato, Itachi-nii!! I've been loads better, I've been practicing a lot and a lot!!"

Itachi laughs softly before heading towards his room. Sasuke watches his nii-san with a happy smile. Lately, his nii-san has been more cheerful, and he actually laughed more. Nii-san never used to do that before. _Nii-san _was an old grumpy pants with the face of a statue, _especially _when Tou-san was around.

Itachi was just opening his bedroom door, when he was alerted to a presence behind him.

"Good morning, ANBU-san." Itachi greeted politely, turning around to face the ANBU. He unconsciously tensed at seeing the man. Although his mask was at the side of his head, the man's face was emotionless as a robot. Itachi immediately recognized him as a ROOT member. Unlike the ANBU, ROOT members were taken from birth, and the ninja rules were pounded into their heads the moment they could talk. It was an empty existence. "What brings you to the Uchiha residence?"

"Danzou-sama immediately requests your presence, Uchiha-san."

Itachi nodded automatically, hiding the sudden loud beating of his heart, before following the ROOT member.

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

It was hours later, when a drenched Itachi opened the front door to his house. Lightning illuminated the dark night outside, briefly revealing the many raindrops and downcast clouds.

As soon as he opened the door, he was tackled by a small blue-black blur.

The 'blue-black blur' glowered at Itachi, an accusing scowl on his face. "Itachi-nii!!" Sasuke said in a hurt voice. "Where were you today? Did you forget your promise to help me with shuri..ken…. Itachi-nii?

Sasuke's previous annoyance melted at the sight of his brother.

Itachi slowly pried Sasuke off him, before collapsing against the door, his head resting on his knees. Long black bangs, the tips dripping from the rain, partially covered his dark eyes, which were staring blankly at the floor.

"Itachi-nii?" Sasuke asked softly, crouching down in front of his older brother. "…Itachi-nii?!"

"…Sasuke," Itachi said slowly in a hoarse voice, looking up at him.

Sasuke was scared. Itachi sounded really sad, but he didn't look hurt. There wasn't any blood on him, and he didn't seem sick or anything…

"It's late.. You should get to bed.." Itachi said indifferently.

His eyes told a different story, as they appeared to be struggling with something. Itachi bit his lip. Itachi moved so fast, Sasuke could only widen his eyes, as Itachi's folded around him, holding him so tightly, like he would never let go. A voice whispered repeatedly into his ear, and Sasuke felt tears in his eyes hearing the building anguish in his older brother's voice.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…._I'm sorry_…"

"Nii-san…?" Sasuke said, his voice breaking at the end.

Itachi quickly let go, his bangs hiding his face as he got up from the floor.

Suddenly, he smiled down at Sasuke, running a hand through his wet hair. "Sorry otouto, I forgot. Maybe we can do it tomorrow, okay?"

He poked Sasuke on the forehead, before walking past him. Sasuke watched silently as his older brother walked up the stairs.

"What's wrong, Itachi-nii?" he whispered in a worried tone.

-

-

-

-

**TBC**

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, Itachi was just informed of his 'new mission,' those stupid Konoha bastards.

I'm sorry readers, for my excessive amount of cliff hangers, hehehe.

And man, I gave so many hints I hope you get them. Okay, you probably won't. Muahahahahahaha…..

Hope you guys liked this chapter. This is mostly a filler, training, fluff chapter, but the next chapter goes into the Uchiha Massacre, and some other stuff. *cough*kyuubi*cough*

I'm trying to make this go faster, so we can finally enter the original timeline. xD

Remember, reviews make me upload faster, and they would really be appreciated….

**R&R**

**-black panda OTL**


	5. Chapter 4: The Burdened

**Chapter 4: The Burdened**

* * *

"_So tell me, what's it like living in a constant haze of stupidity?" _-Hiei (Yu Yu Hakusho)

* * *

**IV**

_There's a lot of people out in the world. Every one of them has a unique life that is just theirs. But some people have ones worse than others. We have secrets, we have a darkness. But we're all the same and yet different. We want what the rest has. Something they took for granted. But why, then, are we always quiet? Why does the one who wants the most never accept the fact that they do? Why do they never reach for it?_

It's the same for everybody. When one loved another, he wanted so badly to tell her. But he doesn't. When one has a bad home life, and is beaten and abused nearly everyday, why does he turn to the darkness? Why would he stick that needle in his arm when there are people in the world wanting to help him? Is it pride? Is it stubbornness? Cowardice? Do we like this pain?

We are the burdened. And because of our darkness, we don't turn to the light.

-Naruto

**~xXx~**

Slinging the backpack over one shoulder, Naruto grinned as he made his way towards the academy. Today was his first day and he was unsurprisingly nervous. Casting a glance behind him, he felt some relief at the fact that Kano was watching him, albeit with a worried expression.

Plastering a large grin on his face, Naruto entered through the door to the academy.

**~xXx~**

"Nara Shikamaru,"

"….."

"SHIKAMARU!!" yelled a female voice.

"…here."

"Uchiha Sasuke,"

"Um, here!" called out a voice from the back. All the girls simultaneously turned their heads to gaze up at the smiling face of an 8 year old Sasuke.

"EEEEEEK!!" They screamed, large red hearts in their eyes. Sasuke, noticing them, smiled nervously and waved, and they dramatically fainted simultaneously. Kiba looked at them in bewilderment, and edged to the far side of his table.

"SHUT UP CLASS!!" roared the chunin teacher, Bolton-sensei. He was bald and had menacing, cold blue eyes. Why he was an academy teacher, no one was certain.

"Why DO we have to shut up?" Kiba piped up in indignation. A small white puppy on top of his head barked in agreement, making the previously unconscious girls awww at its cuteness.

"Because people are sleeping," mumbled Shikamaru's voice from the back. Bolton massaged his temples before continuing.

"Uzu…." Bolton faltered, staring at the list. "Uzumaki…. Naruto" he growled. A moment of silence filled the classroom before the whispers began.

"Uzumaki? Isn't he that weird prankster kid?"

_Groan. _"That guy wears way too much orange."

"zzzzzzzzzzzz"

Bolton exploded. "UZUMAKI! Get your FUCKING ASS down here or you'll fail the cla-"

He faltered, as a small black sphere as small as a golf ball rolled into the room. He stared at it stupidly before he widened his eyes.

"FU-"

BOOM.

Smoke exploded from the smoke bomb, quickly enveloping the classroom. The teacher began swearing profusely as the girls shrieked in alarm, and the guys coughed in alarm.

The only one only mildly confused about this sudden random attack was Sasuke, who stood up warily, scanning the classroom and fingering a kunai. Suddenly, he whipped his head to the side as he saw a pie speedily heading his way.

A _pie? _"Wha-?" Sasuke said in confusion before ducking quickly. The pie flew over his head only to hit the person behind him.

A small figure appeared from the clearing smoke. He wore a large grin on his face, and wore the most eye-popping, bright orange jumpsuit anybody has ever seen. In fact, if not for the fact that a shuriken holster was openly seen attached to his right leg, one wouldn't place him as a shinobi.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO, PRANKSTER EXTRAORDINAIRE!!!" Naruto exclaimed, giving a thumbs up to the class.

Everybody stared open mouthed at him before a large growling sound was heard behind Naruto.

"Get to your seat, Uzumaki," Bolton stated slowly, glaring hatefully at him. Naruto's grin didn't falter as he headed towards his seat, hands behind his head.

"Okay, since its your first days…" Bolton said, swinging a kunai on one finger. "I'm evaluating your abilities. Taijutsu sparring outside. Partner up." He paused, staring intimidating at the silent class. "GO!" he roared.

As everybody began partnering up, Sasuke slowly scanned the classroom. Most of the guys had already joined up with their friends, and the girls likewise. Some had a strange glint in their eyes as they approached him. There was a loud voice in Sasuke's mind screaming at him to avoid them at all cost, and he did so. But they were only girls, what harm could they do? (one day, sasuke... you'll learn.) Desperately scanning the classroom, he found that, apart from the large amount of girls wanting to be partnered with him, there was only the orange kid available.

Sighing nervously, he approached him. It wasn't like he hated him, it was just that his parents always told him not to go near him. Everyday, he would spot the guy leaping from roof to roof holding either a paint can or a big bundle of something, and nearly always chased by a large group of villagers. He was an orphan. He was a bad influence. A prankster. A no-good-son-of-a.... Well, the list goes on and on.

Smirking, Sasuke slid easily into the Uchiha-taught taijutsu, and stared boldly at his opponent. Naruto grinned cheekily back, before….

"YYYEAAARRGGHH!" He roared, charging recklessly at him. Sasuke was struck dumb at the most stupidest move he could do, before composing himself.

In a flash, Sasuke leaped up above him, doing a graceful acrobatic flip in the air, before landing behind Naruto. Naruto whipped around to block a punch but fell backwards as Sasuke kicked down at the bend of his knee, making him stagger.

"Whoa!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, just as a punch flew a hairs length from his face, and rolled away. Sasuke retreated as well, panting a little bit while easing back towards his stance.

By then, all of the other spars have already finished, and everybody was watching him. Bolton leaned casually against the wall, watching them intently. The already popular Sasuke was cheered by his fan girls, who screeched for his victory.

Naruto grinned that already familiar wide grin, before also easing to a stance. Sasuke's eyes furrowed in confusion. Naruto's stance was horribly off-balance, and his legs spread too wide apart. That stance would get him _nowhere. _

Shrugging his shoulders mentally, Sasuke charge this time, with a speed surprising for an academy student his age. Naruto hesitated before charging as well. Sasuke feinted right before ducking under Naruto's clumsy punch, and did a quick uppercut with his left hand, slamming into Naruto's chin.

The girls cheered wildly as Naruto was sent flying backwards, and Sasuke grimaced at his throbbing knuckles. He was mildly surprised as Naruto got up again, wiping his chin with his arm. They stared at each other, blue eyes to black. Suddenly, Naruto cocked his head, easing out of his stance.

"Karasu?" Naruto muttered in puzzlement. Sasuke looked at him weirdly, before taking out some newly sharpened shuriken from his holster. That distraction was pretty lame, he thought. Time to up this a notch.

All the girls gasped dramatically as Sasuke threw the shuriken. He hasn't practiced with them a lot, so his aim was a bit off, but they were still heading towards Naruto. Naruto quickly took out a kunai knife and held it up to block the-

A kunai whipped through the air, imbedding Naruto's hand to a tree. Gasping in both surprise and pain, Naruto let go of the kunai, and it clattered onto the ground.

"Oi, no weapons allowed during the fights," Bolton drawled, another kunai spinning warningly on one finger.

Naruto couldn't hear him.

_Pain. He couldn't breathe. Every part of his body was in agony. Kami, he couldn't breathe. He could only watch in dim horror as one of them advanced on him, a kunai knife in one hand. _

_The man shoved him roughly to his feet, before grabbing his hand, and pinning it up above his head. Everybody jeered as the man, his face shrouded in shadows, grinned gleefully as, with one motion, stabbed the kunai savagely through his hand, and onto the wood behind it, pinning his hand to the wall. _

_Naruto screamed as his other hand was pinned above him as well, raising his body above the ground. His weight proved too much for the blade, and the kunai dug deeper into his flesh, as his weight lowered him down slowly to the ground. _

"_Stop…" Naruto whispered feebly. The shadows laughed at him sadistically, and his world began to spin, the dark colours swirling together. _

"_**Snap out of it, jinchuuriki."**_

Snapping his eyes open, Naruto gripped the kunai and, with one sharp jerk, he tugged free the blade from his hand, and everybody flinched simultaneously as the blood flowed profusely from the hand.

Naruto dropped the blade in silence, before looking up at Bolton, his clear blue eyes staring emotionlessly at him. Inwardly, he was shaking like a leaf. He didn't think that the incident has shaken him up this much. Pushing the feeling into the back of his mind, he grinned widely, though his eyes stayed trained on Bolton. And to everybody else's shock, Bolton averted his eyes.

"Gomen nasai, Bolton-sensei!!" Naruto exclaimed, breaking the silence, as he scratched the back of his head. "I guess I'll go to the nurses office, hehehe." He said, edging towards back towards the academy entrance.

An awkward silence filled the air as the Naruto left.

"Was that really necessary?" muttered Shino from the back. Everybody looked from Shino and back to the teacher, who's eyes narrowed.

"I didn't say that weapons were allowed," Bolton barked out, making everybody flinch. "Suck it up, you're all going to be ninjas. Everybody back to class."

Bolton stormed back into the classroom, the students following him.

"So, did Sasuke-kun win?"

"I hope he doesn't do that to my hand,"

"Did you see all the blood? Ewwww,"

"Man, the orange kid sucks a lot,"

"Maybe I'll ask Kaa-san for a transfer…."

Sasuke, at the back of the crowd, glanced back at the bloody kunai left on the ground, and jumped in surprise as a man leaped down from the trees, before picking up the kunai. It was an ANBU, dressed in the trademark white armour, his mask painted black in the form of a bird. Or more specifically a crow.

The ANBU looked up, his eyes, shadowed in the mask, staring at him. Sasuke felt a bit nervous as he walked gracefully towards him, before depositing a paper note into his hand. Sasuke looked at the paper note curiously.

"Deliver that to Bolton-sensei. Do not read it," stated the ANBU, his voice a robotic deep bass.

"Umm, o-okay," Sasuke stammered, a bit intimidated by the ANBU. He looked up at the ANBU. Seriously, that mask looked really creepy. Sasuke eyed the hair. It was black, and was tied in a loose ponytail, the bangs hanging in front of the mask. It looked really familiar for some reason….

Realization struck Sasuke, and he warily asked, "Itachi-nii?"

The ANBU paused, before looking down at the child. "No, civilian-san," the ANBU replied. Raising a finger, he poked Sasuke on the forehead. "I am Karasu,"

"Oh," Sasuke said with a small smile, rubbing his forehead. "Well, Karasu-san, can you remind Itachi-nii that he promised to come to the market with me today?"

"I am not a messenger. You should get to class" Karasu stated walking away. He paused. "But I will deliver your message."

"Great!" Sasuke smiled happily, before retreating into the classroom. Behind his mask, Itachi smiled sadly before disappearing in a whirl of leaves.

Sasuke walked into the quiet classroom, the class was doing some questions from the shinobi handbook, and the orange kid hasn't come back yet. The teacher was lounging in his desk, reading a strange orange book Sasuke had always seen his Tou-san reading nowadays. Whatever it was, it made his curious. Whenever he went outside, nearly all the male adults were reading it. It was sure popular.

"Uchiha! Get to your seat!" barked Bolton.

"Ano, Bolton-sensei," Sasuke piped up. "I have a note for you," He handed Bolton the note, before walking back towards his seat.

Grumbling, Bolton snatched the note and opened it. As he read it, he got paler and paler, before crumbling the note with one hand.

"G-get to work, class," Bolton stammered, and left out the door. The class stared at the closing door before shrugging.

Just then, Naruto came sauntering into the classroom, his hands neatly bandaged. Sasuke spared him one curious glance before sitting on the nearest seat. A girl with pink hair, who's name he couldn't recall, blushed furiously as he sat down, though he took no notice of it.

Naruto stared down at this textbook. It was torn and held only by a large number of staplers. Not only that, but the contents were definitely NOT for academy first years. Naruto felt a deep disappointment within him. Judging by how Kano described the academy, he had imagined that he would at least get treated the same as anyone else here. Guess not.

"Hey, do you get question one?" Naruto asked the person beside him, nudging him with an elbow.

The person beside him wore the strangest set of clothes Naruto had ever seen. Well, apart from himself. While he wore normal grey pants with a shuriken holster, he also wore a large shirt with an upturned collar, which hide the lower half of his face. He also had a unique hairstyle, large and spiky brown hair that oddly reminded Naruto of an afro. Except that it wasn't fuzzy at all. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes, even though they were indoors.

He inclined his head towards Naruto. Judging by his aura, he was mildly surprised that he was talking to him. But for what reason why, he had no idea.

He took one glance at the booklet and said quietly, "You have the wrong booklet," and returned to his work.

Naruto wasn't listening, though. He watched, fascinated, as the spiky afro kid turned back and did his work, only for bugs to crawl up his hands and arms as he did so. They were so small and jittery and reminded Naruto of the bugs he had seen crawling around in a dead tree stump.

"Wow, that's so cool," Naruto exclaimed quietly, touching his finger to his hand. The small bug crawled onto his finger, scuttling around and around it in a dizzy routine.

"Cool….?"

The person, Aburame Shino, looked up at him in surprise, or as much surprise as one could tell from behind his dark tinted specs. He slowly raised a finger to Naruto's hand, and the small bug crawled back obediently onto it.

Before Naruto could reply, a pink haired girl from across the table reached over to see Naruto's booklet and said timidly, "Umm, question one is: The 5 elements are Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, and Lightning."

Naruto grinned widely in thanks but some girls behind Sakura snorted simultaneously.

"Great. Fore-head girl is also a smarty pants too," One of them whispered audibly to another. The others giggled and Sakura looked crestfallen.

Naruto stared at the giggling girls, and they looked unnerved, their giggles fading away. Naruto's striking blue eyes were looking directly at them, the large grin absent from his face. One of them blushed, he actually looked hot without that dorky expression on his face.

Just then the lunch bell rang, and Naruto turned away, leaving 4 speechless girls. Everybody stood up, sending curious glances at the teacher's desk; he wasn't back yet.

Naruto was the first to leave, walking up the stairs onto the rooftops. The grin faded from his face, and he slid down against the fence, slouching against the wires. He rolled his head towards his right to see Karasu sitting crouched down sideways against the fence, his feet sticking against the metal.

"Hey, what happened to the Bolton guy?" Naruto asked casually, pulling out a bento box and snapping apart his chopsticks.

"Let's just say, he won't be teaching anymore," Karasu said, a smirk playing on his face beneath the mask. Naruto snorted in amusement.

"You know, it wasn't that serious," Naruto added, gesturing to his bandaged hand.

"I saw your face when it happened," Karasu stated. "Don't tell me that was nothing. If Kano was here, he'd beat the shit out of him. 6 year old or not."

A year ago, Karasu might've said nothing, but now, his personality has fleshed out a bit more. Naruto couldn't believe that under that emotionless exterior was a laidback man with a dry humor and a sense of loyalty. But in the battlefield, he was a respected graceful and skilled ANBU.

The sound of a fight was heard down at the academy grounds. Naruto glanced down in curiosity, and saw the 4 girls from before, surrounding the pink haired girl behind the back of the playground. His eyes flashed black.

"You and your stupid hero complex," Karasu muttered to himself as Naruto rushed down there.

"HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Naruto shouted in indignation, pointing a finger at the crowd. They paused in their teasing, looking at him with a dumbfounded expression, before snarling in annoyance.

"Go away, orange kid, we're busy here," One of them growled. The rest cracked their knuckles in a seemingly intimidating way.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto! And as the next Hokage, I demand that you stop right now, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled, although he cringed mentally inside. The bullies paused, blinking as their ears adjusted to the Naruto level volume, before snarling again.

"Oh yeah?"

"Let's teach him a lesson!"

They were starting to advance when Karasu jumped down from the rooftops, landing in a cat-like crouch on the ground. He slowly raised his head, the crow-like mask staring blankly at the girls. Naruto mentally rolled his eyes.

The girls shrieked in horror before running back to the academy.

"We'll get back at you for this!"

"EEEK!"

"Freak!"

Naruto ignored them, grinning up at Karasu. Karasu nodded once before disappearing. Sakura looked nervously at the spot where Karasu disappeared, before whipping the tears off from her face.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked with concern, pulling out his hand. Sakura nods shyly, and grabs his hand.

"Who was that?" Sakura asked, pointing to the spot where Karasu disappeared.

"Oh." Naruto said, scratching the back of head sheepishly for the second time that day. He searched his head quickly for an excuse. "That was just a random dude who hates bullying." _Niiice. _

"Ah…" Sakura nods her head in understanding. Suddenly, she smiled up at Naruto.

"Thank you," she smiled. Naruto was surprised. He could actually feel the gratitude in her aura. He smiled back.

"Uh… no problem…" Naruto mumbled, averting his eyes. Sakura's eyes opened with sudden realization, and she dug into her pocket.

"Umm, do you want a cookie?" She asked innocently, dangling a cookie in front of his face.

Later on, as he was walking home, only one thought was in Naruto mind. He never knew cookies could taste so nice.

* * *

Hinata walked home in a depression. It was her first day at the academy, and it was both the worst and best day in her life. First of all, she had started the day with a pie in her face. The boy… what was his name, Sasuke? Yes, Sasuke. Well, anyway, he had suddenly ducked, and a pie splattered on her face.

A pie. Of all things.

Then she saw HIM. The boy that Tou-sama had directly instructed her to avoid. He was wearing so much orange…. And he was a prankster, famous for the Hyuga-Undergarment-Flag incident. But the most important thing was…He had the most cutest whisker marks on his face.

Wait, cute? Yes that's right. Hyuga Hinata was in love with the worst person she could fall in love with. The number one on her father's hate list. Kyaaa, this was just like something out of a romeo and juliet story.

Uzumaki Naruto.

There was just something about his attitude that she loved. His determination, and his _smile. _No, not that wide grin that he would give 24/7. That small, content smile he would show when no one else was looking. He had given it to that strange ANBU man before.

He had given it to that Haruno person. At that thought, Hinata fell into a deeper depression. So dark, she was hardly noticing where she was going, and bumped into a person, sending them both butt-first on the ground.

"Oh, gomen nasai!" Hinata spluttered, helping him up. Suddenly, her heart stopped as she stared openly at the person she bumped into. Her mind went into overdrive, and the world tipped dangerously as a chibi Hinata screamed in panic inside her mind.

"No, no.. My fault," Naruto apologized, a smile hovering on his lips, oblivious to the inner conflict in Hinata's mind.

"You smiled…" Hinata said in a daze.

"Uhhh, yes?" Naruto said, a question mark popping above his head.

Hinata blushed furiously, her index fingers subconsciously poking themselves, as she bowed her head.

"Ano, never mind… gomen, gomen… I have to go!" With that, Hinata retreated off into the distance.

Naruto scrutinized the rapidly disappearing figure on the road. Her aura was… red. Like a tomato. Like… her face. Was she sick? O.O? Red usually represented anger or some other negative emotion, but the girl didn't seem to be pissed off in any way. Shrugging, Naruto continued on his way home but he staggered abruptly when he felt a stabbing pain in his eyes.

"Ow…"

As soon as it came, it was gone, and Naruto squinted in the light. _Was the world supposed to be sideways?_ Naruto's eyes shut instinctively as the world soon became spinning like a top. Dimly, he realized he was leaning against the wall, and that a familiar ANBU mask was swimming in front of his face.

"Naruto? Are you alright?"

Naruto blinked furiously, and the world slowly slid back to normal. He grinned enthusiastically up at Karasu.

"Fit as a fiddle, dattebayo!"

Karasu's eyes narrowed. There were a million possibilities. One was that Naruto hasn't taken his vitamins, like any 8 year old was suppose to. Or, some stupid ninja had tried to cast a genjutsu just to spite him. He cautiously scanned the area, but other than some passing villagers a few metres away, there weren't any shinobi in the area.

Karasu sighed. He had to time for this.

"Please don't say dattebayo. Come on, I'll shunshin you home. I'm in a hurry right now."

With that, Karasu took a hand on Naruto's shoulder, and they both disappeared in a whirl of leaves.

----------

The first thing Naruto saw when he opened his eyes was a small blur coming quickly towards him.

"HEY MAN, HOW WAS SCHOOL?!" Kano exclaimed, jumping on top of Naruto's shoulders. Both of them came crashing down onto the floor.

"Interesting," Naruto replied vaguely, prying Kano off him as he got off the floor. "Met a dude who looked like _him_." he added, jerking his head towards Karasu.

"The result of a steamy night with one dog, a banana, and two drunk girls?" Kano offered up, a smirk hidden under his cap.

Karasu rolled his eyes under the mask. "_No_, it's my otouto, Sasuke."

"Reaallly?" Naruto added, his eyes lifting up suggestively. Karasu sighed.

"I have no time for this. Naruto, ramen's in the kitchen. Go to bed after you finish those katas I told you to do. And you," Karasu pointed at Kano, who grinned sheepishly. "Go home for once."

Kano ignored him, as he collapsed lazily onto the couch. Naruto was about to go check the ramen in the kitchen cautiously, (Karasu wasn't known as a good cook) when suddenly, Karasu dug into his pocket, and came up with a tiny red present.

"Early birthday present," he murmured.

"Why, aren't you going to be there?" Naruto shot back, his eyes staring at Karasu suspiciously as he fingered the present. It felt heavy in his hands, and kind of felt bulky, as if there was more than one thing inside.

And to Naruto's growing suspicion, Karasu's aura darkened quickly, although he didn't betray his expression.

"You're in the academy, and soon, you won't need a bodyguard anymore. I won't be here 24/7 forever."

And, with one quick nod, Karasu disappeared in another whirl of leaves.

The minute Karasu was gone, Naruto curiously opened the carefully wrapped package. Inside was, to both Naruto's and Kano's surprise, an ANBU mask.

It was an interesting black color, with intricate white swirls painted on it in the form of a kind of wild cat. The 3 whiskers on the side were strikingly similar to Naruto's, although they pointed downwards more to the jaw line.

Naruto picked it up gingerly, and underneath the mask was a note:

_You do not have a name. You do not have an identity. You fight and you kill and you die for the sake of Konoha. You are ANBU. _

_**You are Pantera.**_

Under the note was another one, this one by Karasu:

_When you think you are ready, you may join ANBU. The man listed was for Pantera went off duty because his wife was pregnant. He doesn't exist, obviously. _

_Happy Birthday_

_(Burn the notes after you've done reading them)_

"Wow," Naruto whispered, his finger tracing the white swirls on the mask. "He thinks I can make it into ANBU?"

"One day…" Kano voiced out loud, a proud smile on his face as he watched Naruto. "Jaguar-kun." he added cheekily.

"Okay!" Naruto said, a large grin forming on his face. "Guess I should start training more then!! Come on Kano, to the training grounds!"

Naruto grabbed Kano and they both raced outside the apartment. The training grounds Naruto was talking about was just outside the apartment. It had been used a few years ago, but was long abandoned from being overused. There was still evidence from them judging by the scorch marks and abandoned rusty kunai on the trees, and the many cracks and random holes in the ground. A few metres away, there was a small stream, but too shallow for any fish to liv there. For Naruto and Kano, it was perfect, as they would be totally alone and undisturbed.

"Didn't have to pull me.." Kano muttered with resentment as they both finally arrived there.

Naruto snorted with amusement before facing Kano, his hands and feet formed into the Golden Dragon style.

Kano sighed mumbling words that sounded like 'how impatient,' before forming into a stance Naruto wasn't familiar with. Kano had instructed Naruto that there were over 1000 different styles out there, and Naruto had to be prepared to face all of them.

Naruto respected Kano as a taijutsu specialist. A… 6 year old taijutsu specialist. Unlike Naruto, who only knew one taijutsu style, Kano formed different stances nearly everyday, and used each of them skillfully, like a master. How he knew so many was a mystery.

Kano cracked his neck before rushing towards Naruto with a breakneck speed. Prepared for that, Naruto twisted his body to the side, his rotating feet stirring clouds of dust on the ground. He came behind Kano with a chop towards his back but Kano reacted.

Kano dropped to the ground with his hands, and using momentum, kicked Naruto in the face, sending him clear into the sky before launching some shuriken up at him. Helpless, Naruto mentally cursed, but his eyes turned into a familiar deep reddish black, and he snapped his fingers.

The shuriken simultaneously sliced cleanly in half, and Naruto landed gracefully onto the ground. Without missing a heartbeat, he snapped his wrist in an upward motion, and there was a whoosh of air as a whirl of blades formed, heading towards Kano.

Kano grinned, cart wheeled to the side, as the blades passed him by.

"Careful, baka," he taunted. "Your butter knives may be invisible, but they're still solid, and I can hear them rushing through the air."

Naruto stuck his tongue out in a rare moment of childishness, before smirking. Suddenly, there was another stabbing pain at the back of his eyes again and he stumbled. Ignoring it, he back flipped up onto a tree branch and, gathering chakra, clapped his hands.

"Fuck," Kano swore as he glanced at the ground. What appeared to be thousands of tiny black shards on the ground were actually thousands of blades hovering in the sky, the sun forming their shadows.

The blades rained down from the sky, and there was a large cloud of dust as the ground became a large pincushion.

Naruto panted heavily, leaning against the tree as he squinted through the dust, the beginnings of panic rising. It was quiet, too quiet. He was experimenting with his blades and came up with the attack just yesterday and wanted to try it out. Did he go too far? Could he have accidentally killed Kano?!

"Almost got me there man," whispered a voice in his ear. Naruto finally noticed the sharp metal of a kunai poking against his back. "But seriously, you need to watch your guard. A powerful attack leaves people weak and tired. Instead of panicking, you should've scanned the area with your bloodline and checked for survivors or for an enemy watching you, waiting for an opening."

"6 year olds shouldn't swear," Naruto shot back lamely.

Kano grinned cheekily as a reply and they both straightened up. Kano glanced down at the ground, and whistled. The entire area was embedded with large cracks and holes.

"Your control is getting better," Kano commented, crouching down on the ground and inspecting the holes. "Your power too."

Naruto wasn't listening, as the pain increased until it felt like as if his eyes were on fire. He grimaced, and collapsed on the ground.

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes. It was dark, completely dark. But suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his throat. It was the sword. Again.

'…_.do you have what we seek?' _

"Oh come on," Naruto said with a sigh, although he was inwardly nervous. "Not this dream again."

The voices made a sound that seemed like they were laughing, and it echoed in the darkness. Suddenly, there was an unexpected pressure on his mind.

"What are yo-" The day's memories flashed through Naruto's eyes. The academy, the pink-haired girl, when he bumped into Hinata, the ANBU mask….

It stopped suddenly, leaving Naruto panting and tensed against the sword. The voices were silent… and for a long time they were, leaving Naruto standing there in the darkness. Finally it spoke:

"_So, Child, I guess you do."_

The darkness shattered, leaving Naruto on his knees in murky water. He was back in his mind, in front of the crossroads leading to the 5 gates. He glanced up as the gate on the right exploded in a bright light. The kanji for **'Destiny' **appeared at the top of Gate. The hallway disappeared, and in its place was a large mirror.

Naruto's eyes widened. His dark red eyes looked… different. Unlike before, when it was just a blank dark red color, the pupil was now visible, and while the color was still a dark red, the pupil has shaped into a 3 pointed pure black star, nearly blending in with its background.

Naruto's reflection smiled back at Naruto. It spoke:

"_We are….. __**Kuroibaragan **__(Black Rose Eye)"_

Outside Naruto's mind, hundreds of small blades explode around Naruto in a tornado, making Kano yelp in surprise, as cuts appeared on his arms. Naruto look at the blades blankly. Unlike before, when even he couldn't see them, they were visible now, and were a dark red color, shaped like the broken pieces of a mirror; small but deadly.

"Can you… see them, Kano?" Naruto asked Kano blankly. "The blades..?"

"The what? No…." Kano said slowly, scrutinizing Naruto. His eyes widened as he took in Naruto's eyes. "Whoa! What the hell happened to you?!"

Shrugging, Naruto snapped his fingers towards a tree. He watched in awe as the blood red blades formed together into a large black arrowhead, before assaulting the unfortunate tree. The tree tore in half in a burst of splinters.

Already low on chakra, Naruto falls on one knee, the world spinning dangerously. "What… was that?"

Kano tentatively approached the tree, whistling softly as he touched the leaking sap. "I think… you actually fucking unlocked the next stage." he said, a grin growing on his face. "Nice eyes, by the way. With its slightly bended edges, it looks like some sort of a black flower, spinning slowly as it floats on a puddle of dark blood."

"Stop swearing, Kano-chan," Naruto said absentmindedly, staring at the blades whirling around him.

That was the thing with Kano. On one hand, he was an innocent, hyper, and happy-go-lucky little kid, but on the other hand, Kano knows grammar far beyond his years. He swears a lot when he's in the mood and, if he chooses, has a mature air around him. Not only does he have a sadistic streak and a tendency for violent and extremely detailed similes, but he also knows shinobi techniques, styles, and has the gracefulness and knowledge of jounin. It was plain weird.

And there was the fact about his aura. Kano's inner aura, (the distinct color in the deepest part of one's soul) was completely black, something Naruto hasn't seen before. Not even Itachi's, which was a shimmering silver.

But whenever Naruto asks Kano about it, he would answer vaguely before changing the subject completely. Soon, Naruto knew better than to ask. He would tell him when he wanted. That didn't stop him from being curious, though.

"Kuroibaragan," Naruto said suddenly, facing Kano. "That's my bloodline…"

"Black Rose…" Kano commented, grabbing one of the blades out of thin air and toying with it. "How…. Appropriate." he added with a smirk.

It was nearing midnight as the duo began their walk back home. The full moon had an unnatural red tint to it, making Kano nervous so they hurried home.

Naruto was silent, as they walked. Or at least, one walked while the other perched on his shoulders, humming a Christmas carol.

"Soo…. Been a busy day," Kano said out loud, tapping on Naruto's head.

"Hn," Naruto murmured in agreement.

"We're continuing training tomorrow, 5:00 am sharp."

"Hn,"

"…What are you, an Uchiha?!"

"….hn,"

Kano snorted. "Wonder where Karasu went…." he voiced out loud.

"Yeah…" Naruto agreed. There was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. Naruto stopped suddenly, his eyes wide. "Oh fuck…" he whispered.

**-----**

"Hey Kano, wanna walk with me to the academy?" Naruto asked casually to cover up how nervous he was.

Kano bobbed his head in agreement, but instead of walking out the door, jumped onto a table and onto Naruto's shoulders, like some kind of a monkey.

"Wonder where Karasu went this morning?" Kano questioned Naruto, as he rested his elbow on his head.

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno." They walked out the door.

**-----**

Naruto blinked furiously, and the world slowly slid back to normal. He grinned enthusiastically up at Karasu. "Fit as a fiddle, dattebayo!"

Karasu sighed. "Please don't say dattebayo." He deadpanned, standing back up. "Come on, I'll shunshin you home. I'm in a hurry right now."

**-----**

It was raining hard. Naruto ran quickly through the deserted street. There was a quiet fear in the back of his mind, he really didn't want a repeat of what happened that night. That, and Karasu has told him multiple times not to go out during the night when he was off duty.

Hey, it wasn't HIS fault he fell asleep training alone on the other side of the village! …..Okay maybe it was.

Running down the street, his soaked to the bone, and lost in his thoughts, he was too distracted to notice it until it was too late.

The aura clawed at Naruto's mind like a chainsaw. The sense of an overwhelming despair and the confusing conflicts of emotion sent Naruto staggering to the ground, his head reeling with the overload. Through his hazy vision, he saw sandals walking towards him in the rain, before stopping in front of his face.

"Are you alright?" said an unfamiliar voice. Naruto looked up into the dark emotionless eyes of a Uchiha, the long sable bangs, dripping from the rain, hanging over his eyes.

"Fiiine…" Naruto answered sarcastically, although a large grin plastered itself on his face. He staggered upright to his feet, and nearly fell over again if it weren't for the stiff hand clasping itself on his shoulder.

"Thanks, mister umm…." Naruto exclaimed, a bit surprised by the stranger's kindness.

The young man tilted his head a little to the side, as if contemplating the question. There was silence for a brief second, before he answered.

"Uchiha Itachi,"

_The guard tilted his head a little to the side, as if contemplating the question. There was silence for a brief second, before he answered. _

"_Karasu,"_

Naruto was startled. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again, making him look like a gaping fish. Itachi watched Naruto in silence, before blinking once and walking off, leaving the speechless boy in the rain.

**-----**

Karasu dug into his pocket, and came up with a tiny red present. "Early birthday present," he murmured, as he handed it to a surprised Naruto.

"Why, aren't you going to be there?" Naruto shot back, his eyes staring at Karasu suspiciously.

Karasu's aura darkened quickly, although he didn't betray his expression. "You're in the academy, and soon, you won't need a bodyguard anymore. I won't be here 24/7 forever."

And, with one quick nod, Karasu disappeared in another whirl of leaves.

**-----**

Kano nearly lost his grip as Naruto suddenly ran in the opposite direction of his apartment.

"Oi! What are you doing?!" Kano glowered at Naruto, as the two ran past the training grounds they were previously in. "Where are we going…?"

"Karasu's going to do something stupid…." Naruto replied in a slightly panicked voice. "We have to go talk to him, just to make to sure he doesn't leave or anything…."

If Kano was confused, he didn't show it. He nodded once before leaping off Naruto's back, running side by side next to Naruto.

The red tinted moon was high in the sky by the time they reached the Uchiha district. Sure enough, there appeared to be something off with the place. There were no guards on the entrances, and the place was a ghost town, completely silent without any evidence of life.

The two walked quickly through the deserted street, and Naruto was tense, his guard up fully. Warning signs were flashing off in his head. When they turned the corner, Naruto froze completely.

There were bodies _everywhere_; lying stretched out on the ground, their faces permanently contorted into an expression of shock and terror. Naruto gagged at the stench of blood thick in the air, barely hearing Kano swear profusely under his breathe.

The worst part were the eyes. Or the lack of eyes. Every single body had their eyeballs completely ripped out of their sockets, leaving gaping sockets and blood running down like tears.

"Itachi…" Naruto breathed, walking forward. He felt a sudden tug on his arm, and glanced backwards. Kano was gripping his arm, and there was a desperate expression on his face.

"It's dangerous." Kano whispered, although both of them knew it was no use.

"I have to make sure he's okay," Naruto shot back, trying to tug free his arm. "My hero complexion, remember?" he added lightly.

Slowly, Kano let go of his arm and was about to follow Naruto but he stopped him. "I'm not going to be in danger. I'll just check things out." Naruto said reassuringly. "I need you to go to the Hokage Tower, tell oji-san what's happening."

There was a savage glint in Kano's eye and he opened his mouth but Naruto beat him to it.

"You're faster than me," Naruto stated, a determined expression on his face.

Kano slowly looked down on the ground, his face hidden by the cap. Suddenly, he looked up.

"You know what? Fuck you," he growled, before turning away, and running off. Naruto watched him leave with a heavy heart.

Naruto's eyes turned a deep red, the pupils elongating into a 3 pointed star before he closed his eyes. This was a trick Kano had taught him, after experimenting with his bloodline.

Naruto's eyes searched through the district, sensing for auras. The Kuroibaragan, when used in this form, could see auras a few km away, and although not as ranged as a byakugan, it had the plus of sensing emotion, and not chakra. Meaning while people could disguise their chakra, they couldn't disguise their emotion. It was something like finding a scent. Or at least, that's what Kano said.

Naruto snapped open his eyes. There was a person alive a few houses away. Composing himself and ignoring the dead bodies, Naruto raced through the abandoned street.

His heart was beating faster and faster by the time he reached the house. The door was blown wide open, like as if somebody had shoved it open. He entered it tentatively, searching for the aura. It was weak and small… Possibly Sasuke's. Naruto entered the living room and gagged.

A middle aged man was slouched against the wall in the corner, the kunai embedded in his head had cracked open his skull, and looked fresh. The killer had been here quite recently. In the middle of the room was another middle aged woman, possibly his wife, a large slash on her back.

Naruto held his breathe. The woman was shielding something with her body. He approached the corpse, and gently moved it to the side. His eyes widened. It was a girl, around 4 years old. Her long blue-black hair was strewn around her body and her breathe was laboured. There was a small stab wound directly on her chest, the blood leaking onto her pink and blue kimono.

She stared up at Naruto, her coal black eyes pleading, and silently crying. Naruto stayed silent, staring at the girl before crouching down.

"What… happened?" Naruto asked softly.

The girl opened her mouth to say something, but choked up blood. Eyes furrowing in the effort, she tried again.

"K-kaa….san… st-stranger…"

Suddenly, 4 kunai came out of nowhere, and, on instinct, Naruto jumped away, watching in horror as the kunai embedded themselves into the girl. She gave a shaking breathe before falling limp.

"…What do we have here, now?" drawled a voice from the door. Naruto's breathe got caught in his throat, and he stared at the man walking casually into the room. He was wearing all black, and the moonlight outside illuminated the orange mask he wore, a twirling spiral centering on one eye hole. Without realizing it, Naruto was slowly backing away from the man as he came closer.

The masked man cocked his head towards Naruto. "Oh, the jinchuuriki. Madara is surprised you're here." As he spoke, he began slowly unsheathing the katana on his back, walking calmly towards him.

Sweat dripped down Naruto's face, and he quickly threw a smoke bomb at him. The man quickly sliced through it, but the smoke exploded anyway, enveloping the room in a dark cloud. Madara coughed loudly, blowing away the smoke with one hand. When it cleared, Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

"Awwww, Naruto-saaan." he whined. "Come back!! Tobi is a good boy, he won't hurt you."

Outside, Naruto was running hard, his breathe laboured as he ran. There was no question. That masked man had killed the entire Uchiha clan… Including Itachi and Sasuke. And.. He was going to kill him. Naruto hid in a clothing's shop, trying to calm his heartbeat down. _'Kano, where are you?'_ he thought desperately.

"OOOOOIII! NARUTO-SAAN!!" Madara yelled out, his hand cupped over where his mouth should be. He walked casually through the street, nonchalantly kicking dead bodies as he walked.

Naruto watched, frozen, as he walked past where he was hiding. He held his breathe as Madara paused, looking in his general direction, before shrugging and continuing down the street.

When Madara disappeared from the corner of the street, Naruto let out a relieved sigh.

"Hello, Naruto-san," whispered a voice in his ear. Naruto jumped visibly before large hands pinned Naruto against the wall, and he found himself looking straight into the man's mask. Beneath the mask was a single red eye, black tear shaped dots spinning around the pupil; a sharingan.

Naruto screwed his eyes shut, not wanting to be caught in a genjutsu. He tensed as he heard the familiar sound of a katana being unsheathed again, and felt the metal pressing against his neck.

"Your heart is beating really fast, Naruto-san," Madara exclaimed quietly, the eye crinkling into an upside down U shape.

Naruto growled, snapping his eyes open. Madara stared at his eyes in surprise but backflipped quickly, just as a flurry of blades flew upwards where his head was. His eyes widened slightly as his orange mask was sliced clean in half.

Naruto snarled, the 3 pointed cross in his eyes spinning rapidly and becoming narrower and narrower, until turning into red slits. The whiskers thickened and his appearance became more feral.

Madara jumped upwards just as a gust of wind blew underneath him, flying past him and crashing into the nearby buildings. Just as his feet touched the ground, he was assaulted by a large red chakra tail, which slammed him into the ground, creating a large crater.

Naruto jumped high into the air, before landing cat-like in front of the crater, his slitted eyes darting in the stirred up dust. As the debris cleared, the moonlight slowly revealed….. A log.

"What an interesting bloodline, jinchuuriki." spoke a voice behind him. With lightning fast speed, Naruto's chakra tail whipped out from behind him as he whirled around, facing a laughing Madara.

His hair was short and spiky, similar to Naruto's and long black bangs partially covered his left eye, which had a black eye patch over it. There was a creepy smile playing on his lips, and it looked out of place on the seemingly gentle looking face.

"_**Uchiha Madara**_**," **Naruto snarled, his voice deeper and more menacing. As he spoke, the red chakra enveloped him, forming another chakra tail.

Madara smirked, before disappearing completely. Suddenly, there was a burning pain in his stomach, and Naruto looked down. There was a long katana sticking out of his chest. At first, the sight didn't register in his mind, but soon, black spots filled his eyes, and the slits faded away, leaving clear blue eyes.

"**Teme…" **Naruto faltered before collapsing on the ground, unconscious.

Madara contemplated the unconscious form on the ground, before walking over to it. He reached out his hand but _another_ gloved hand came out of nowhere, gripping the arm in a bruising hold.

"Oh. Hello, Yellow-san." Madara said casually, turning his head towards the person. Like Madara, he was wearing all black and carried a guitar slung across his back. His breathing was slightly laboured, and his hood had come off, revealing a blank ANBU mask with slit holes for eyes, and long blonde hair tied into a messy ponytail at the back. Equally long and unruly blonde bangs fell into his eyes.

'Yellow-san,' didn't bother to reply and as the two continued to stare at each other, a sharp whistle rang through the silence. Long dark blurs were seen running towards the two.

"The ANBU are here," Yellow-san stated, his voice deep and menacing under the mask. He slowly let go of his arm.

Madara stared unnervingly at the man before reaching into his pocket, pulling out another orange mask, which he quickly donned on.

"Itachi," Madara whispered loudly. A dark blur came seconds later from the rooftops, landing next to Madara. Itachi, clad in his ANBU armour, glanced at the two men before his eyes landed on the unconscious form of Naruto. He gave an accusing glance at Madara who waved it off.

The two ran off, but Itachi gave one glance at the blonde man, who was staring back at him. They both shared a look before turning their heads away.

Yellow-san sighed, the action sounding like a rattling noise under the mask. He crouched down near Naruto, inspecting the stab wound. It had already scabbed over, and skin was slowly healing over it. He would be okay.

As he stood up, 4 ANBU came down from the rooftops, kunai knives aimed threateningly at him.

"Ookami-taichou, we have spotted and apprehended a possible suspect," whispered Cat into a microphone on her ear.

"State your name," the one from the left demanded, wearing a Bear mask. The others shifted slightly, nervously scrutinizing the stranger. It was common knowledge that there weren't many blonde people in Konoha. Especially ones with a yellow that had a brightness that rivalled the sun. In fact, the only people with bright blonde hair was the late 4th Hokage, and the jinchuuriki himself. Yet, here was a stranger with the same blonde hair, and wearing no hitai-ate.

"Me?" Yellow-san said, pointing to himself. "Oh wel- Oh! Hokage-sama!" he exclaimed suddenly, bowing down to a person behind Bear.

The 4 ANBU simultaneously glanced behind Bear, and before they could react, the stranger disappeared in a whirl of leaves.

"Oh… crap." Cat sighed in her mask. Just then, an older man came in to join the 4. He was wearing the typical ANBU armour, except his armour was embroidered with golden threads. The ANBU tattoo on his left shoulder was also outlined in gold. Unruly, spiky, silver hair, leaning towards the left, poked out from the mask, which was painted in the form of a wolf.

"Where… is the target?" Ookami asked, looking directly at Bear. The 4 shifted nervously under his stern gaze.

"Well, we, uh…"

"Yamato! You are ANBU. Speak clearly," Ookami barked out, although his voice sounded slightly amused.

"Yes, taichou!" Yamato said stiffly, before bowing low. "Cat, Bear, Lion and I were apprehending the target, when he distracted us, taichou! Taking the chance, he disappeared. That is all, Ookami-taichou!!"

Ookami digested the information quickly, before launching into a series of hand seals. Biting his finger, he slammed the hand onto the floor, releasing intricate marks on the ground.

In a puff of smoke, a pack of dogs appeared, all of different sizes and breeds. One at the front, a small pug, wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Ew." Pakkun complained shortly, giving Ookami a reproachful look. Ookami ignored him.

"Okay. Team A, see if you can find the scent of any people alive. The ANBU team will help you. Team B, locate the scent of the suspect or suspects. Go!" Both dog and ANBU nodded briskly as one team ran off in all directions, while the other stayed here, walking cautiously around the street.

Ookami hissed quietly as his attention was finally focused on the unconscious form of Naruto.

"Kuso. Naruto…What the hell are you doing here?" He murmured to himself, shifting the boy onto his back. "The rest of you, continue looking. Pakkun, notify me once you find something."

Ookami ran off towards the Konoha hospital, jumping from roof to roof.

**-**

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**-**

**TBC**

**---------------------------------------------------------**

Whoops. I was suppose to add the Kyuubi and Naruto conversation, but it would be too long then. Well, at least this chapter was more interesting xD AND there's no cliffhanger!! That has to count for something, right!?

Cameo from Kakashi!! If you don't know, Ookami means Wolf.

The 5 gates in Naruto's mind is really important, because each unlock something new.

Do you like the name of the bloodline? Because I ain't changing it. It would ruin the story :P also, do you like the name Pantera as Naruto's soon to be ANBU name? Pantera is Jaguar in… A language that's at the tip of my tongue. The Japanese word for jaguar is Jaga… And no offence, but that just doesn't sound right. *nervous laughter*

Sorry for the late update. As you should know, it was exam week… I barely survived . think I failed math lol.

Anyway. **R&R**

**-black panda OTL**


	6. Chapter 5: Zapper

And heerres chapter 5! I swear they're getting longer every time. I'm trying to brush up on my writing style. Is it working? :D

Anyway, tell me if there are any mistakes. I've been trying to upload this A.S.A.P so it's kind of rushed.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Zapper**

* * *

"_You may call me whatever you wish…. But I'm taking your cake." _-L (Death Note)

* * *

**V**

_Bloodlines. Power. Those with power are feared, and that is the truth. The rest don't understand, and so they turn to fear. Why else would Ookami hide his? Why else would Jiraiya want me to keep mine a secret. Power is a terrible thing, but we all want it. But once we have it, what then? What will happen once you reach the highest level you can possible gain? You use your power to help others, you use it to defend your precious ones._

_But here's the real secret. Those with power are corrupted. Once you get that power, that desire to help others will turn into something different. You will eventually turn into the very thing you tried to defend against. Tried to attack. Always hated._

**And the cycle goes on and on.**

-Naruto

**~xXx~**

Naruto was irritated. One second, he was pinned against the wall by an orange mask wearing freak, the next second he was back in his mind… again.

But this time it was slightly different. There was a burning pain throughout his body, centering on what appeared to be a stab wound on his chest. Naruto coughed up blood, staggering onto his knees. And it was only then that he noticed the cage.

The bars were as big as telephone poles, and reached up into the darkness. The only sound was a steady breathing seemingly coming from everywhere. Naruto tentatively approached the cage, only to be thrown back by a large roar.

At first, Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. It was only after a few seconds did he realize that the thing in front of him was real.

Illuminated by a red chakra, was the face of a grinning fox, the demonic red slitted eyes staring down at him with utter contempt.

"**So the Jinchuuriki finally visits his cage," **the fox sneered slowly, still staring intently at him.

Naruto felt a deep dread inside him. He spluttered uncharacteristically.

"Who are you?!"

"**So the gaki is actually more stupid than he looks," **

Despite the situation, a tick mark appeared on Naruto's forehead. Noticing his reaction, Kyuubi laughs uproariously, the sound reverberating in the large room.

"**I could kill for your disrespect, jinchuuriki."**

"Jinchuuriki…?" Naruto whispered, more to himself.

Slowly, as if drawn to it, Naruto's eyes looked up onto the single piece of paper stuck on the cage. The kanji for 'Seal' was written on it. And with that, something broke within Naruto's, as memories flashed before his eyes. All the pain, all the contempt, all of past life seemed to change the very second he looked at it.

Oh god, it all made sense now.

"**That's right, Jinchuuriki," **the Kyuubi chuckled menacingly. **"I am the demon fox that attacked your village 8 years ago. . And you… You are the jinchuuriki, the human sacrifice chosen to be the container."**

Naruto was speechless. His blood ran cold. At first he was relieved, relieved that the reason the village hated him wasn't because of himself, but because he represented. But then, an unfamiliar bubble of hate rose up in him. Was the village that blind to hate him? Were they actually all satisfied to release their frustrations and grief on an 8 year old boy?

The pain in his chest was beginning to lessen. Naruto looked down numbly as the stab wound began healing rapidly, not even leaving a scar. To think that all this time he didn't even question why he always healed so quickly. How stupid was he, to be so confused as to why they all hated him… Now, it seemed so obvious.

Naruto's eyes flickered into black before he screwed his eyes shut.

An unreadable expression formed on the kyuubi's face but it was gone a split second later.

"**Don't be so weak, kit," **The kyuubi said in a scornful tone. **"I do not want my container to be this snivelling child I see before me."**

Back at the crossroads in Naruto's mind, the chains in the North Gate turned pitch black.

* * *

Naruto woke up slowly. He stared up at the familiar tiles on the ceiling. 48 tiles. He was in the hospital again. As he came back into reality, the loud sounds of shouts and running footsteps was heard from outside the room. It was strange how he didn't notice them before.

He got up, and felt his chest. The stab wound was gone. Heck, there weren't even any bandages. Before he could marvel at that, the memories came back in full force. He started to hyperventilate. The Kyuubi, the kuroibaragan… Itachi! His mind was reeling with all the events, and it took a long time to settle them.

The kuroibaragan. The black rose eye. What exactly made him able to get the second state? And what exactly were those 5 gates, especially 'Destiny?' It seemed to have the most connection with his bloodline.

Itachi. The Uchiha district was full of dead bodies and the stench of death. Any of the corpses could've been him. But from what he's seen of his ex-bodyguard's abilities, he doubted that he would die so easily. Even if he was faced against that other orange masked wearing guy. He was strong, for sure and the battle at most would've been a tie. Naruto took a deep breathe before tackling the other problem.

The Kyuubi…… Okay never mind, let's not go there. On another note, what was with all the k's?! Kuroibaragan, Karasu, Kano, Kyuubi… It was really stupid coincidence when you think about it.

Naruto got off the bed. He needed answers, and he wouldn't get them here. He changed out of the hospital garments and into his orange jumpsuit, noting the bloodstains with a sigh. The orange clothes were originally a present from a random villager, who heard that the demon wanted to be a ninja. Naruto already knew that a ninja wearing bright orange was like putting a large target on him, but accepted it anyway. He actually liked orange, and it would add to his dobe persona.

He was just finished strapping on his shuriken holster when the door slammed open.

Kano stormed inside, before giving Naruto a death glare. Naruto chuckled nervously.

"Good morning!" Naruto greeted weakly.

Kano exploded. "You… IDIOT! You said you'd only check it out!!! NOW LOOK! You were found unconscious with a sword sticking out of your gut. A sword. Sticking out of your gut…. You've been unconscious for nearly 5 hours, dammit!"

Kano faltered, his voice noticeably higher than normal. Naruto scratched the back of his head guiltily. It was something he would do subconsciously either in public, or when he was feeling particularly uncomfortable. To anybody else, it would've been a funny scene, a 6 year old reprimanding someone older than him.

Naruto took advantage of the silence to take a closer look at Kano. He hasn't noticed it before, but Kano had taken his cap off, and his slightly spiky black hair was more unruly and messy than usual, as if he was literally pulling his hair out. In fact, his aura was so bright with relief, it nearly blinded him before he hastily took it off.

"I never knew you were a worrywart." Naruto teased lightly, pulling on his cheeks.

Kano's eye twitched.

"Do that again and I'll break those fingers."

Naruto hastily withdrew his hand.

The room became awkward, with Kano still glaring at Naruto who was thinking of anything to say. Suddenly, it dawned on him. Kano had to know what was happening.

"Kano! What happened to Itachi!?" Naruto blurted out. Kano stared at him.

"You… don't know?" Kano said slowly. He closed his eyes. "Itachi is alive, but he was declared a missing nin after he… He killed every single Uchiha in cold blood, but left his younger brother, Sasuke alive."

Naruto sank subconsciously onto a chair. Itachi… _killed the entire Uchiha clan!?_

"Wait!" Naruto said suddenly. "That's not possible. I saw somebody else there, and he wasn't Itachi. He couldn't have killed them…"

"You saw somebody else?" Kano raised an eyebrow. "Itachi is already guilty, confirmed by Sasuke. But if what you say is true, than that means he had an accomplice…"

_So.. Itachi actually killed them… _Naruto thought numbly. _It's like as if Itachi would willingly enter a lingerie store. It's just not possible. _He must've voiced his thoughts out loud since Kano snorted in amusement.

"Come on, you have to report this to the Hokage. You feeling alright to go?"

Naruto nodded and the two left the room.

The hospital was a mess, filled with people scurrying around, and trying valiantly to heal any of the potential survivors of the clan. Naruto turned away, and kept his eyes averted to the ground. He had already checked before with his 'sight.' Except for Sasuke, nobody was going to survive.

The streets were no different. Even though the incident has only happened a few hours ago, villagers were walking slowly, and only spoke in hushed tones, as if they had sensed what had happened. Or maybe they already knew. The Uchiha clan made up a lot of the population, and there was a noticeably less amount of raven haired heads poking out in the crowds. Ninjas were scurrying around on the rooftops in visible disarray, and most headed straight to the tower.

The days passed by quickly. The Hokage Tower was packed full of shinobi, just coming back from missions, arguing with the Sandaime about what was happening. It took forever to be able to get a booking with the Hokage, although Naruto's news was important. In only a few days, nearly everybody in the village had known what was happening. Itachi had slaughtered his entire family, and had an accomplice. There was only one survivor, who Itachi had apparently spared. Uchiha Sasuke, his younger brother. And speaking of him, Naruto hasn't seen him since the first day of the academy, which was cancelled for a week. It seemed like years ago when Naruto had sparred with him.

And soon, it was the day of the funeral.

Naruto and Kano came for the occasion, dressed in all black. There was a large crowd of people there already, as the funeral was a public one. There were too many bodies for coffins, so all of the corpses were burnt. Sasuke had requested them to be buried, but since there wasn't enough room for all of them, the ashes were buried in 5 individual coffins. Thousands of white lilies were placed on the coffins, nearly obscuring the coffins themselves. Naruto could see over a hundred picture frames on the tables next to the coffins.

It was only after the burial, that Sasuke arrived. He was also dressed in all black for the occasion, and slowly walked up to the coffins, before laying down a single lily to join the others. The others muttered to themselves as he passed, shaking their heads and giving him pitied looks. It sickened Naruto, and he dared not to check his aura.

He looked so small in the crowd of the adults, and it was only then that Naruto realized how much of a change the Uchiha Massacre, the name dubbed by the public, had given him. Uchiha Sasuke was now officially the head of the Uchiha… and an orphan.

As Sasuke passed Naruto, he hesitated, and his dark eyes rested on him.

"I heard that.. You were there." he said slowly in a surprisingly clear voice. He glanced at a particular picture frame on the table, and Naruto followed his movements, and froze when he recognized the face. It was the little girl he had tried to save.

"Her name was Momo. She was my cousin." Sasuke whispered. "…Thank you for trying."

And with that, the Sasuke everybody knew was gone.

* * *

**~xXx~**

* * *

"I have to leave."

"What?" Naruto said in surprise.

It was 5 days after the funeral, and two were just lounging around in Naruto's apartment. Since the academy was closed for a week, they should've taken advantage of the time to train, but Naruto was just wasn't into it. Whenever he was outside, the amount of pity and gloom radiating from nearly every villager made him in a crappy mood. Kano was also uncharacteristically silent nowadays, and Naruto thought it was only because of night time guitarist, who had mysteriously stopped playing at nights after the 'incident.' The man probably was an Uchiha, which made them both even more depressed about the entire situation. They had both been pretty fond of him. But _this_. This was just random.

"Why?!"

Kano looked outside with a blank expression on his face.

"This… mess is going to be more disastrous than you think. I can't stay here. Itachi is probably going to join _that _group. It's such a pain how stupid he can be."

The day after the funeral, Kano and Naruto discussed about the Itachi situation. They both agreed that there was no way that he would've abandoned the village. Naruto had 'seen' the amount of loyalty in the guy's mind, and it was just impossible to him to go run off and become a missing nin.

Kano continued. "To make it worse, the council is becoming suspicious of me. Truthfully, I'm not a citizen of Konoha. They were already suspicious of a kid making friends with the jinchuuriki-"

"Wait, you know I'm a jinchuuriki?" Naruto interrupted with a dumb expression.

Kano gave him a 'no-duh' look before continuing again.

"Anyway, they tried to dig up some info on me, and surprise, surprise. I'm not in their data books. I'm amazed the ANBU hasn't come barging in to arrest me yet." Kano sounded like he was reading a warning label.

"So where WERE you born?" Naruto asked slowly.

"Rock." Kano replied casually.

"Iwa?! As in the same village that had an everlasting grudge on Konoha. The same village that just recently signed a piece treaty that everybody KNOWS isn't going to last…?"

Kano grinned widely.

"Yeah. Such bastard country, ain't it? Don't tell anyone though, they might think I'm a spy…. Which I am not. But he wouldn't suspect me of actually hiding _there_."

"He..?"

"Jiraiya. I think he suspects me the most."

Naruto's eye twitched. "Riiight. So, when are you leaving?"

"Now." Naruto stared at him.

"I'm serious." Kano said with an amused smile. "Sorry for the late notice, but as you know, I ain't much for a dramatic good-bye."

Naruto sighed. It made a lot of sense… ish. Kano was still a mystery. I mean, why would a person from Iwa come to Konoha for no apparent reason? He still had a lot of questions, but as Kano said, he was amazed the ANBU hasn't come to arrest him yet. He gave Kano a short wave.

"Bye." Naruto said glumly.

Kano gave Naruto a reassuring grin.

"Get stronger. I'll expect you in the chunin exams, soon." He handed Naruto a single scroll, who caught it before giving Kano a bemused look.

"It's a Temporary Growth Jutsu." Kano explained. "It acts exactly like a henge except that the chakra takes the form of an older or younger version of yourself, and is nearly impossible to detect. You might want to use it to join ANBU because, truthfully, prepubescent people trying for ANBU will get a lot of attention."

"Makes sense… I guess." Naruto replied shortly, taking a curious look inside the scroll.

"Well," Kano exclaimed with another large grin. "See ya, kid."

"Kid?!" Naruto spluttered. Kano laughed before vanishing in a whirl of leaves.

**~xXx~**

After a week, the academy opened again, and Naruto wasn't surprised to find the class acting all loud as usual. The only difference was that Sasuke, if it was possible, seemed to have nearly double the amount of fan girls, as most of them seemed to have a fetish for 'mysterious dark pretty boys.'

Things slowly became normal, although there was deep unsettlement in Naruto's chest. First Itachi seemingly betrays Konoha, the secret of his life was revealed to him by a giant rabbit, and now Kano had disappeared along with that… guitarist guy.

And those words Sasuke told to him about that girl made Naruto realize something. He was weak. Even with the training Kano and Itachi gave him, it had only been a year, and he has only the ability of a high genin. The orange mask guy had taken him out easily. Hell, he even ran away from him.

Maybe it was time he had made some changes too. Maybe it was time to take a new path for power. Because right now, training alone wouldn't do much help. Resolving himself, Naruto enters his apartment, and meditates before diving into his mind.

After a long minute, Naruto opened his eyes, and was hardly surprised to suddenly feel the cold wetness of the water on his legs. Looking around, he found himself at the crossroads to the 5 gates. Although he was here for a reason, Naruto found himself examining them out of curiosity.

The path splitted into 5 different ways which separated in opposite directions as North, East, West, South-east, and South-west. Their appearances went as following:

South-West: A small wooden gate locked with a simple padlock. There was a small square carved into the wood where the eyehole was. To any other person it might've looked like a simple locked wooden door… except for the large splash of bright orange paint on the front. It was like as if somebody had accidentally spilled an entire orange paint can on the door and didn't bother to clean it off. The door itself was rotted through the core, and, if someone looked closely, could see small bugs crawling in and out of the wood repeatedly. To say that Naruto was slightly disturbed was an understatement, and he kept a far distance away from that gate.

South-East: More noticeably menacing but less disturbing than the last one, the South-East gate was similar to a black hole, pulling in any shred of light, and leaving it as a dark swirling vortex, effectively blocking the way past it. There was no lock of any kind, as the vortex obviously made up for that. A single floating flat piece of rock was suspended near the top of the Gate by a short rusted chain, miraculously not being pulled into the thing.

East: This one Naruto was already familiar with. The gate was bathed in a reddish glow, and pulsed something similar to a heartbeat, giving an impression that the corridor itself was alive. Unlike the other Gates, this one was didn't have a lock. _Because it didn't stop him from going through it, it stopped something from getting to him. _Naruto thought.

West: The other one Naruto was familiar with and the one completely different from the others. Unlike the other gates, there was no lock at all, and left a large ceiling high mirror that glinted in the dim light. Since it was parallel to the Kyuubi's Gate, it was logically suppose to reflect that path, yet as Naruto inspected it, the path behind his reflection didn't reflect it at all, as all Naruto saw was a clear and ordinary hallway. Near the top of the mirror was a square piece of marble, the kanji for Destiny glowing brightly.

North: The last gate, and easily the largest one, standing directly in front of Naruto's path. It was really hard to describe what Naruto felt as he looked at the last Gate, as only one thing came to mind. _Emptiness. _The path was long and straight and continued into the horizon but instead of leading off into darkness, led into a whiteness. It wasn't like a light at the end of a tunnel, more like as if black and white were completely switched around. Large white chains covered the path, crisscrossing at random intervals and nearly completely obscuring Naruto's view inside.

Naruto takes one last glance at the other four gates before turning right and entering the Kyuubi's.

After a short walk, Naruto found himself directly in front of the jail, and was inwardly annoyed. It was completely silent and dark inside the cell, and if there was one thing the kuroibaragan didn't give, it was night vision.

He cautiously came closer to the bars, and although fully expecting a voice, he really didn't expect a different one and visibly jumped.

/What brings you willingly into the recesses of your mind, jinchuuriki?/ mocked a low tenor voice. From deep in the cell, a pair of human shaped eyes snapped open, and the eyes of the demon fox glowed brightly in the darkness.

This wasn't exactly what Naruto was expecting. The kyuubi no kitsune was a large demon, known through it's bloody history of countless trickery, and destruction. Although now that he thought about it, the kyuubi was a manifestation of chakra, and could potentially change into different forms. But still, for it to have a human form, was simply something he didn't think of.

"I have a proposal for you, fox." Naruto said clearly, steeling himself and staring calmly back into those eyes.

/Reaallly../ It replied in a bored voice but Naruto saw through it. It would've either kicked him out or not even responded if it weren't interested.

"I want you to train me." Kyuubi snorted loudly.

"Wasn't it you who said that you didn't want a weak container?" Naruto shot back. "Anyway, I wasn't done. In return, you'll be given some limited freedom. I'm not… entirely sure yet but I've been working on a type of clone where I could potentially implant your consciousness into. You'll be able to walk out of the cage, and not stuck here for the rest of our lives."

Kyuubi actually seemed surprised at that. His eyes widened comically.

/You're…serious?/

Naruto nodded his head slowly and Kyuubi's eyes curved upwards as it grinned maliciously in the darkness.

/Seems like a good idea, Naruto! Okay, first thing's first. See that seal up there? Rip a bit off from it. Not a lot!/ it added hastily, seeing Naruto's immediately distrustful expression. /Like the tiniest piece you could ever manage./

Naruto, not believing his luck, walked up cautiously to the seemingly harmless piece of paper stuck on the jail bars. He hesitated, as he vaguely wondered if the seal, the kanji for 'Seal' written on it, had any link to the other gates, as it was similar to how there was a kanji for 'Destiny' on the West Gate.

The Kyuubi assumed that Naruto's hesitance was because he was suspicious, so it gave surprisingly gentle words of reassurance.

/Just do it. I know that _you know _that I can't go through these bars./

Naruto walked up near the bars and examined the seal, slightly worried if ripping a piece off the seal imprisoning to the most powerful Demon Lord in existence will have any drastic consequences. Shrugging, he reached for the seal. It was only when he was an inch away from it when he felt it.

A thick miasma of bloodlust plummeted into Naruto's stomach, so strong that he froze in fear, a cold sweat breaking out on his skin. At the corner of his eye, he saw a long speeding red blur hurtling towards him. He screamed at his body to move **-**to dodge, to do anything!**-** but it didn't obey him, and he could only close his eyes.

A long orange-red tail, slightly burning against his skin, wrapped itself around his leg, and yanked hard. Unable to do anything, Naruto felt himself buckling over to the ground, slamming down onto the hard concrete floor and into the water.

The killing intent lifted a little, and Naruto choked on the cold water, pulling himself upright on the ground, the tail still wrapped painfully against his leg.

Two large claws banged deafeningly against the metal cage, and the large face the Kyuubi no Kitsune came closer towards him, the large feral grin visible through the bars.

**/I have a different proposal, jinchuuriki. You have two choices. Rip the seal off this cage, and you will have the decency to fall unconscious before your body tears in half as I leave this seal, and mindlessly slaughter the entire village and others./**

The fox's grin widened ever so slightly and the bloodlust rose to a near unbearable level.

**/**_**Or… **_**Do nothing and I will drag you in here and forcefully possess you. You'll have a back row seat watching as I behead every single villager in your name before releasing control and laugh as you because a sobbing mess on the ground./**

Naruto was frozen in shock. The words _oh shit oh shit oh shit _ran repeatedly through his mind. He schooled his expression into a calm one, before bringing defiant eyes up at the fox, and glared challengingly at it.

"The sealed can't survive without a container. And this is my mind, neh? I'll just stab myself in the brain with a kunai before you can drag me in, and you'll die with me."

Naruto dramatically raised his right hand, and was thoroughly surprised when a kunai materialised in his grip, although he didn't show it. Despite his claim, he knew he was bluffing. He really had no idea about the mind thing, and even if the fox would die with him. Hell, all he knew, the thing would burst out from his stomach the moment he died.

His heart was beating loudly against his chest as the Kyuubi stared at him in silence. For a long agonizing moment, he thought that it had seen through the bluff, before that he broke out of his thoughts by the Kyuubi.

It smirked and began to chuckle. Soon, the chuckle blew over into a full blown laugh.

/What a stupid human. Fine, I'll make you stronger. Now go./

Before Naruto could react, he was forced out of his mind, and back into reality. His eyes snapped open before he collapsed back onto the bed. He groaned as he felt a stabbing migraine forming in his head and a burning pain on his shoulders.

_Well, that was really unexpected. _Naruto mused in his mind. He looked suspiciously at his burning shoulders in the mirror, and was surprised to find two identical tattoos, the red swirls painted in an intricate pattern. The tattoos glowed briefly befoe settling onto a blood red color.(1)

He scowled in exasperation at the seal on his stomach in the mirror.

"I don't get that fox."

_____________________________________________________________

Surprisingly, Kyuubi was true to his word, and Naruto felt himself being thrown into his mind the next morning. Why the Kyuubi was training him in the first place, Naruto didn't know, but he still took advantage of it.

It was like an entirely different life. If training with Kano and Karasu was bad, this was 5x worse. Naruto found himself busy nearly 24/7. If he wasn't sleeping his usual 4 hours, he was either in the academy, or meditating in his apartment. Helped by his new 'sensei', he took training into his own hands.

From 4:00am to 8:00, there was physical training. Here, Naruto didn't enter his mind, as that would be useless, and trained outside in the nearby deserted training grounds. The first few days were agonizing, as Kyuubi demanded that Naruto would need more endurance and flexibility before trying out Taijutsu. Although shinobi were naturally flexible, Kyuubi took it to the next level, and, by placing pictures and videos in his mind, displayed to Naruto abilities usually only seen by a contortionist.

Naruto sighed, and tried to imitate them. He ended up with painfully stretched muscles, and one dissatisfied demon.

_This is impossible… An obese pedophile has more chance of getting it on with a Vampire._

/Train, train, and train even more, human. Now try again./

_Can we skip this…? I don't see how stretching my legs to reach the back of my head is going to help._

/Human../

_What?_

/Shut up./

…… _Screw you._

/I'm warning you, human…../

_Fine, I'll take it back. UNscrew you. _

**/GET TO WORK!!!/**

_Alright, alright…._

Naruto began reluctantly trying to imitate the positions, muttering about a fox with anger problems…

The mental connection was first established by Kyuubi. Because of the tattoos Kyuubi had branded onto Naruto's shoulders, the two were able to share thoughts in Naruto's mind, and it would be easier to communicate by that way. It worked like talking, only you were only concentrating thoughts to each other. The only downside was a slight decrease in chakra control because of the connection with the Kyuubi, but Naruto managed to work on that later on.

Slowly, Naruto began to improve, and Naruto was pleasantly surprised when he found out the improvements. He became fitter, more agile, and more enduring, able to become a blur to a chunin, and being able to run 100 laps non stop around the village. _(The laps made him really tired and sore, though.) _Naruto didn't really know why, and blamed it on his childhood, but he never managed to gain that much weight, and kept a slim form. While a stocky form wasn't much to Naruto's liking, he didn't exactly like the slim form either, as it reminded him of a male model. If there was one thing Naruto didn't like, it was pretty boys, and how girly they would be to keep their looks.

Kyuubi mentally sighed at how ignorant his 'student' was. Blonde hair… Blue eyes… Whiskered cheeks… How ugly did he expect himself to be when he was older?

The minute Naruto left the academy, he rushed back home to meditate. The second part of training was Chakra Control and Ninjutsu. Genjutsu was a powerful kind of skill, but Naruto had simply no interest in it, and Kyuubi didn't expand on it either.

One thing Naruto wanted to learn was sealing jutsu, to Kyuubi's inward amusement. Sealing jutsu was incredibly complex, and not very well known. Sealing Masters were only powerful if the enemy attacked them on their own battlefield, and were more suited for defense and warding.

But then the Yondaime became a sealing master, and changed that. By adding seals to his jutsus, he drastically improved them, and made assassinating him near impossible. Although its popularity still remained low.

Why Naruto wanted to learn sealing jutsu, Kyuubi didn't know, but he still showed the brat basic sealing techniques. Now Naruto could do moderate alarm seals, explosive notes of different varieties, and how to seal weapons and other items. He was far from making his own jutsu, though.

Other than sealing practices, Naruto was able to master tree walking and water walking beforehand, able to do it effortlessly, but the level after water walking was just insane. For Naruto, anyway. He had to float leaves above his head, and not damage it in any way. The first time he tried, nothing happen. The second time, he overloaded the leaf with chakra, and it exploded into tiny green slivers. By the time he managed to get a decent mastery on it, there was a large pile of shredded leaves in front of him.

He was inwardly frustrated at his lack of control, but Kyuubi explained it to him. Naruto had a naturally large chakra reserve, nearly twice as much as his peers. Along with the Kyuubi's chakra, this made him nearly invincible in prolonged fights…. If he ever managed to control it all. Kyuubi guessed that Naruto could only manage to use half of his reserves at best.

After a month of exercising and chakra practice, Kyuubi had an epiphany. He taught Naruto his first jutsu, the kage bunshin, and things skyrocketed from there.

Kage Bunshin could send all info they learned back to the original once dispelled. Since a Kage Bunshin took up a lot of chakra, this training method was rarely used. But for a chakra powerhouse like Naruto, it was perfect.

Now, Naruto could train even while at the academy, and most other training practices were completed in less than a week. By the age of 10, Naruto had trained enough for the equivalent of 5 whole years.

After Chakra Control was practiced enough to satisfy the Kyuubi, they moved on to elemental chakra. By learning Naruto's chakra element, they would determine what jutsus would be best for Naruto to learn.

Kyuubi wasn't surprised when they found out his element. Naruto was a powerful wind user. A wind user was rare, as wind was known to be violent. All Futon jutsu were powerful offensive jutsu.

But he was mildly surprised to see the shred of chakra paper also become soaking wet after being shredded to pieces by the wind. Naruto had a secondary water element. Of course, Naruto being an Uzumaki, maybe it wasn't surprising after all. Water was known as calming but powerful. While most water jutsus were used primarily for healing, the more advanced ones were capable of enough power to equal a wind jutsu.

Kyuubi was interested to see how this combination would turn out.

But what really interested Kyuubi was the chakra paper itself. When Naruto poured chakra into it, the material turned a pitch black before shredding into pieces, and becoming soggy pieces on the ground.

Kyuubi suspected it to have to do something with the bloodline. If that was so, the bloodline had a direct connection with the human's chakra.

He remembered one conversation with the human.

**~xXx~**

"Oi, fox, why aren't we focusing on my bloodline?"

Kyuubi leaned back in the darkness. He was in his human form, as he rubbed his temples with two fingers before answering.

/This bloodline… Is a complete mystery. I have truthfully never seen anything like it before. Jiraiya can just give up looking through your family tree, he wouldn't find anything there. You can control invisible blades and have the additional ability of an empath. But what connection do those abilities have? I have to study this before we try and practice it. All I can say is for you to practice it while in battle, and it should progress from there./

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows as he digested the info.

"How does Jiraiya know my family tree?" he asked suddenly.

Kyuubi laughed suddenly.

**/Perceptive, aren't you, human?/ **He grinned, but didn't say anything else.

**~xXx~**

The days past slowly, as Naruto began to grow stronger. At first glance, he appeared to be the same dobe, the dead last of the academy. But behind the blinding orange clothes, and the large grin, was a calculating eye of a skilled shinobi.

The only real hint of his drastically improved skills, was the ninjato (2) strapped to his back. The first time Iruka sensei, the new but kind teacher that earned Naruto's respect, saw it, he went into a full lecture on not to play with swords.

Okay, he was 10. But still. Naruto droned out Iruka-sensei's lecture, and waved energetically at both Hinata and Sakura. Hinata blushed crimson and managed a 'meep' before ducking under the table, and Sakura half-waved at him, before freezing and turning back to Ino.

It happened only hours after the first day of the academy. One of Naruto's classmates told Sakura's parents that Sakura was hanging out with Naruto. Ever since then, she's been avoiding him to the point that Naruto has given up on her. Although he was still slightly disappointed whenever she would ignore him.

Naruto's social problem was forgotten as he came to the next stage. Today was the day he was going to apply for ANBU. He was actually looking really forward to it. ANBU were known as the assassination group, and took the more… black missions of Konoha. Naruto expected to develop really fast under its influence.

/Hurry, human./ Kyuubi said impatiently as Naruto raced towards his apartment.

Once reaching it, Naruto snapped his fingers, and watched as the seals on the door glowed brightly before disappearing. He entered the apartment.

With another flick of his wrist, all the garbage on the floor, and the general messiness of the room disappeared. It revealed an organized house, with many different books and complex scrolls on the shelves. Naruto went into the drawer, and pulled out the scroll that Kano gave him the day he left. Looking at it made Naruto slightly nostalgic, but he quickly cleared his head as he read through it.

_Dog, Boar, Dragon, Ox, Tiger! _**Hijutsu: Juuhassai, Henge no Jutsu.**

In a poof of smoke, Naruto transformed into a supposedly 18 year old version of himself. He looked into the mirror and his eye twitched.

Naruto was tall but slim, and the muscles showing prominently on his arms. His blonde hair had become even longer and spikier, and partially covered his eyes and ears. His face has also grown as well, being strikingly aristocratic. The blue eyes had changed somewhat into what was dubbed by fan girls as 'bedroom eyes,' and the blue remained the same intensity. The whisker marks had faded but remained prominent on his cheeks.

He had already taken the liberty of changing into the ANBU uniform that came with the mask Karasu gave him. With a small smirk of satisfaction, he grabbed a simple but elegant katana from his bedside table and strapped it on his back. Looking into the box, he saw that there was an optional choice of a red scarf. Shrugging, Naruto draped it around his neck, the ends flowing towards his back, the ends weighed down slightly with lead to prevent getting snagged on things. (3)

"Guess I'll have to cover up my whisker marks," Naruto thought out loud with a sigh. He paused in surprise at his unfamiliar tenor voice, before continuing into the washroom. He really didn't want to do this, as putting on make-up in any form disgusted him. Reminded him too much of Sasuke's shrieking fan girls, who would hastily put on some lip gloss as Sasuke would pass by.

After disguising his birthmarks, he examined himself in the mirror.

_How do I look, fox?_

/… Like a pretty boy./

Naruto scowled in exasperation.

_I mean, do I look like my 10 year old self?_

/_Obviously. _But you can say your grandfather was once part of the Namikaze clan, who were known for their excessive amount of blondes. Banishments are common in some clans, so it should be an acceptable excuse. Be prepared for some suspicious, though./

_But will they actually think I'm a citizen of Konoha?_

/You have all the identification from Karasu's present, right?! As long as you have that, they will./

Breaking out of the conversation, Naruto grabbed the Jaguar mask from under his bed, and put it on. With the ANBU mask, he cut an intimidating figure in the room, and he couldn't help but grin under it.

He practiced his katas for a bit, to get used to the new body. The jutsu only casted an illusion of your older figure, so there wasn't a strength bonus. Still, there was something exhilarating about being in an older body. H really hated those amused looks people would give him when they see a 10 year old training to be a ninja.

Then, with one last grin, Naruto did a quick hand sign, and vanished in a whirl of leaves.

* * *

**~xXx~**

* * *

The ANBU headquarters were located near the Hokage tower, for security reasons. To most, it looked like an extension of the Hokage tower, but was actually a whole different building. In fact, with the small garden in the front, and the many smiling faces and the building's bright colored walls, it looked more like some sort of a hotel than the headquarters of an assasination group.

But looks could be deceiving.

Naruto, henged as an ordinary civilian man, knocked politely on the door, only for it to open before he could touch the door.

A small women wearing an apron opened the door a crack and smiled. Through the gap, Naruto could see a small but homey living room complete with a fireplace. He waved a greeting, and her eyes flashed at the code written at the back of his hand. She opened the door wide open, and welcomed him in.

The very second the door closed, 6 people flashed inside, and the cheery room vanished, turning into a bare room with no windows.

Naruto felt 5 sharp blades pointed against all his vital points, and raised an eyebrow, visibly impressed.

"Release your henge," stated a voice behind him

Turning back slightly, Naruto saw that the lady had vanished, leaving a slender ANBU with long purple hair. Naruto smirked and released it.

There was a moment of silence as the 5 people scrutinized his appearance. The purple haired ANBU gracefully approached Naruto before pressing a finger against his mask. The moment she did, the symbol of the leaf village glowed at the forehead, before fading away. Seemingly satisfied, the rest of the members lowered their blades, but did not sheath them.

"Follow me," the Purple haired ANBU said, before walking through the left door.

Naruto nodded, and walked behind her casually.

The purple haired ANBU, as Naruto soon learned to be named Yugao or Cat, gave me a tour of the ANBU headquarters. It was actually really impressive.

The whole building was practically underground, as the entire building above ground was just for props. There was multiple training areas, for either solo training or sparring battles. The hallways were a maze, and Naruto rolled his eyes when he learned that he had to learn his way through the entire building.

There was a large main hall, for meeting places, although it was rarely used for that reason and private meeting rooms, where the strategists would plan their missions. All those needing new katanas, kunai, shuriken, soldier pills, uniforms, or masks could get free ones from the Supplies Room. There was also a dormitory, as most of the ANBU lived here.

Naruto was mildly surprised when he learned that Pantera was already assigned a room and noted in his head to check it out later on.

They arrived in the main hall, and Naruto was surprised to see all the ANBU. There were about 40 members chatting to each other and sharing mission stories. He vaguely wondered how many animal names they had to use.

His bright blonde hair attracted a lot of attention, and Naruto could see the others openly looking suspiciously at his hair.

"It's because of the Uchiha Massacre." Cat explained from in front of Naruto. "We had a suspect with bright blonde hair who escaped."

"Huh."

"Don't worry, I checked your chakra signature. It didn't match."

She stopped abruptly at the door and turned to face me. "Papers, please."

Naruto dug into his pockets and handed her the papers that came with Karasu's present. The papers confirmed his identity and supposedly decided the rank he would be in, although it was rumoured they would test you for your rank.

Cat read the papers quickly before snorting.

"Hmm… Congratulations, Pantera. You're in my squad; Squad White. Since you're a noobie, let me give you a short explanation. Here in ANBU, we have different squads of 7 people headed by a captain. The squad does more difficult S-rank missions but you do have the option of solo missions as well. Consider it something like the genin teams, we work on team work, formations, and it is mandatory to meet with your Squad at every occasion that the captain calls for. This squad is permanent and you will expect to trust each other with your lives."

Naruto digested the information quickly. It made sense.

"You the ANBU captain?" Naruto asked curiously.

"No. Actually, follow me, and I'll introduce you to Zapper, our Taichou."

_Zapper? _Naruto thought.

Naruto followed Cat deeper into the hallways. Other ANBU glanced at the two figures, or more specifically, him. Although they now did a pretty good job of keeping their actions inconspicuous, Naruto waved back just to spite them.

Cat didn't pay attention to them, chatting amiably about her Taichou.

"Taichou is known as Ookami, or Wolf. Just to let you know, he is really well-respected among the ANBU. We would literally do anything for him. He has a lot of… quirks but you'll like him."

Soon, they came onto a door with the ANBU tattoo symbol on it.

Cat turned back to Naruto.

"Taichou judges people on first impressions. I hope he likes you, or else…." she chuckled evilly.

Despite the cliché warning, Naruto still felt slightly nervous. Who was this Ookami, to be admired by all the ANBU?

Cat knocked on the door, and they entered the room.

It was pretty small and Spartan; only holding the essentials. There was a small bed, and a wooden table with a single lamp. The only thing that showed that anybody actually lived here was a small picture frame on the table. Naruto was too far away to actually see the picture in the dim light.

But the most important thing was that nobody was here.

_Well that was anticlimactic. _Naruto thought. Judging by the tick mark on Cat's head, she probably expected him here too.

"CAT!!"

The two whirled around just to see another ANBU running towards them. He was of medium height and had short brown hair. Unlike Cat's mask, his was painted in the form of a squirrel.

Even with the ANBU mask on, Naruto could tell that this Squirrel person was grinning under it.

"Cat, Taichou is sparring with one of the new recruits!"

Naruto had no idea what was going on. One second he was standing in Ookami's room with Cat, the next second he was being forcefully dragged into one of the training rooms.

Naruto grinned widely when he saw a gathering crowd of ANBU near one of the one sided glass windows. They were all looking intently into the window, and Naruto could hear people betting against each other. Whatever was happening, the excitement was contagious.

"The noobie ain't getting one hit on Zapper."

"I'll bet you 100 on that."

"He'll fall flat on his face!"

"…..He's screwed, hahahaha."

Naruto curiously peeked into the window, and what he saw took his breathe away.

There was two people fighting in the training room. One was short and on the stocky side, and had extremely short black hair. What surprised Naruto was the mask on his face, the black swirls were painted in the form of a fox.

The other person was slightly taller but slimmer, and had the most striking, unruly silver hair, which tilted on the left side. While most ANBU had one sword, he had two strapped onto his back. The mask was different from others, as it had both red and black painted in the appearance of a savage wolf. Naruto immediately knew that that person was Ookami, the ANBU captain.

The two were exchanging blows at a breakneck speed. Fox had already drawn a katana, although Ookami was blocking the slashes with a kunai.

There was one thing obvious to Naruto. Ookami was winning. Badly.

At first it seemed like they were evenly matched but when Naruto looked closely he saw a lot of clues. Fox was sweating and obviously tired, while Ookami was still calm as ever. The second thing that impressed Naruto was the fact that Ookami hasn't moved from one spot, meaning he was toying with him.

Tired, Fox retreated back a few steps, panting visibly. Everybody held their breathes as Ookami suddenly dug into his pocket.

Naruto sweat dropped as Ookami pulled out a (familiar?) orange book.

Fox looked flustered behind his mask, evident by his exaggerated gestures. Naruto regretted the fact that the glass was soundproof. It would be interesting to hear what he was saying.

Cat and the other ANBU laughed at the new recruit.

"Taichou is testing the new recruits for potential ANBU. This guy was the last one, I believe." Squirrel explained to me. "You are Pantera, right? You were a last minute addition added a few months ago, so you might have to fight him tomorrow. I recommend you examine the fight."

Naruto gave Squirrel a hasty thumbs up, fascinated by the battle. Fox was changing tactics, and doing hand seals in a blur.

Suddenly, he slammed his hands onto the floor, and a wave of rocks broke off from the ground, before flying speedily at Ookami. Naruto was shocked when Ookami seemed to freeze up and was a split second too late in dodging, and was slammed into the wall.

Cat sniggered as the smoke cleared, revealing a log. A blur came from behind Fox, and he let out a silent scream as his arm tendons were cut, rendering his left arm useless.

Naruto's eyes widened as he saw a white glowing blade flash out for a split second, before Ookami sheathed his sword. He dramatically flipped a page.

Fox stumbled off, clutching his arm with one hand. By his stumbling movements, Naruto guessed that he was poisoned.

Fox was shouting silent curses at Ookami, who shrugged his shoulders and threw a single shuriken almost lazily at him. Fox jumped to the side, but was caught in surprise as his leg was tangled in a camouflaged wire mesh, and fell flat on his face.

An ANBU next to Naruto slumped his shoulders, before handing another ANBU some cash.

As Fox scrambled back up, the mask broke off, revealing brown eyes and a sneering face. Fox shouted back at Ookami, and all the ANBU froze simultaneously as Ookami looked up, and snapped his book shut.

"Oh… shit! WHAT THE HELL DID HE SAY?!" shouted an ANBU from the back in uncharacteristic apprehension.

Suddenly, Fox jumped back with sudden speed, and began doing a large amount of hand seals in the air.

_Was he faking the injury?! _Naruto thought.

Cat seemed to recognize the hand seals as she suddenly shouted in alarm.

"That…. Retarded son of a bitch! He's going to bring the whole house down! EVERYBODY MOVE!"

The ANBU did so quickly, ducking onto the ground, and Naruto breathe caught in his throat at the sight of an enormous electric dragon before he dived down. A split second later, the entire hallway shuddered and the one-sided window broke into a thousand pieces, the glass shards raining down onto the crowd. Everybody snapped back up and looked into the room.

Fox was on one knee on the opposite side of the room. But Naruto was struck speechless as he looked at Ookami. He didn't look hurt at all. In fact, apart from the shockwave, the room still looked intact.

"What happened to the electric jutsu? That had to be at least an A-rank…" Naruto muttered to himself.

Squirrel seemed to hear him because he turned to Naruto.

"You don't know?" he said in disbelief. "Taichou isn't known as Zapper for just any reason."

Naruto snapped his head back to Ookami and his eyes widened again as the air began to thicken rapidly. His hand instinctively went to a kunai, and he winced as he felt an electric shock the moment he touched the metal.

The area around Ookami begins to glow vividly with chakra, and blue sparks dance around his body. Naruto could distinctly hear large crackling sounds, like radio static.

The new recruit seemed to freeze in horror, but snapped out of it and quickly did more hand seals before slamming it into the ground again.

This time, a spring rose from the ground, flooding the floor. Ookami quickly jumped in the air, and withdrew the sword again. Now, Naruto could see the chakra sword, a long glowing white blade crackling with electricity before Ookami slammed it point down into the ground.

Since the soundproof window was in pieces on the ground, Fox's earsplitting scream could be heard as thousands of volts of electricity flowed through the water and into his body. Naruto could see discarded kunai and shuriken in the ground literally melting like microwaved butter.

Ookami disappeared in a crack of thunder, and, to Naruto's continued shock, reappeared behind Fox, clasping a gloved hand over his mouth.

"Don't disrespect the dead." Ookami whispered into his ear, so low Naruto had to strain his ears to hear it. He whipped out a kunai, and bonked Fox's head on the kunai's handle, and he collapsed like a broken doll.

Suddenly, he looked up to the crowd of people outside, standing on a pile of broken glass. He walked casually on top of the water towards them, before addressing Cat.

"Number 14 is declared a fail. Tell him to hand in his equipment before leaving. Oh, and bring in a medical team."

Cat saluted Ookami before approaching the unconscious form of Fox. Ookami examined the broken window, before looking up at the silent crowd, as if just noticing them.

"Can I help you with something?" Ookami deadpanned.

"No, Taichou!" They saluted simultaneously before hastily leaving.

Naruto, not wanting to be standing alone with the guy, left with the crowd, and found himself walking with Squirrel.

"What.. Was that?" Naruto questioned him.

Squirrel looked at him with a disbelieved expression, evident by his aura, and Naruto found himself cursing his lack of information.

He started to explain in an awed voice.

"If you haven't guessed already, Taichou has a bloodline called White Chakra, that gives him two different kinds of chakra: Normal chakra, which is what everybody has, and White Chakra, a different kind of chakra characterized by its unique silver color. The bloodline was thought of as useless, as it was too potent to be used in jutsus, and too corrosive to be of any medical help. What most people don't know is that White Chakra reacts very uniquely with elements. Once you add your element to it, it turns into the element itself. Not only that, but it can change any other atoms it comes in contact with and forcefully turn it into a replica of itself. But the electricity still contains the same properties of chakra, and so, he is capable of manipulating it."

Squirrel sighed as Naruto stayed silent, his mind thoroughly confused.

"To put it in simple terms, Taichou is combining his White Chakra with his element: Lightning, to turn the White Chakra in lightning itself. This electric chakra can turn anything it touches into lightning as well, but since the electricity is still basically Taichou's chakra, he can control it."

"What about that disappearing act he did after the water jutsu?"

"I'm not sure, since Taichou didn't really explain it, but basically he could turn himself into lightning as well, but ironically can't control himself, and so can only move through conductors. He turned himself into lightning and traveled through the water before rematerialized behind Crow, and knocked him out."

Naruto found himself grinning under the mask. That was one interesting bloodline. He chanced one last question.

"How come I've never heard of this bloodline?"

"Taichou's father, the White Fang, initially discovered it, and kept the bloodline's real power hidden for years. If such a power came into the public, it would cause an uproar beyond your imagination. Taichou was hiding it too, but then he was forced to use it once after the entire squad was held captive. Imagine his face when we told him that the entire ANBU would keep his bloodline secret from everybody else?"

"Seriously?!"

"It's hard for you to understand. Taichou.. Taichou is highly admired and respected. He has saved our butts countless times, and it's the least we could do for him. Not even the Hokage knows."

Naruto glanced back at the battlefield, his respect of Ookami rising.

"And _he's _our captain?"

Squirrel looked at him again as if in a new light.

"Oh! You're the new recruit for our squad. Pantera, right? Yes, Ookami is Squad White's Taichou. Hey, I need to go see Taichou again for a second, so I'll see you later."

Naruto looked at the disappearing figure, lost in his thoughts.

/Welcome to ANBU, human./

_It was really not what I was expecting. I thought of ANBU as serious, and having a dingy headquarters with all that repress your emotions crap._

/You're thinking of ROOT, idiot./

……

/What DO you think this is?/

_Weell, I dunno. Feels weird though._

/Crap. Human, look up. Your Taichou is coming this waaay./

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts just in time to look up as Ookami came closer, hands in his pockets. He gave Naruto a two finger salute.

"Yo. I heard you were in my squad."

Naruto was mildly surprised. With the way Squirrel was talking about him, and how nearly everybody practically worshipped him, he didn't really expect the guy to be so… lax.

Nevertheless, he grinned widely under the mask. "Pantera. Pleased to meet'cha."

**-**

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**TBC**

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UPDATE: ok people. after reading the story over. i saw alot of bad mistakes . this chapter was originally suppose to be in Naruto's POV, but I changed it at the last minute. guess i forgot a lot of things huh?

That doesn't count as a cliffhanger, does it? I'm trying to cut back. ^(oo)^

What do you think of kakashi's bloodline? It's kind of complicated, so let me explain it in four simple words.

Kakashi can control lightning.

There. Pure and simple. It does have weaknesses, though. I'm not making kakashi a god, now. But why does he have a bloodline in the first place? And won't it affect the sharingan? Well, kakashi is badass, and so, deserves a bloodline of his own. And yes, it will affect the sharingan.

Do you like Kakashi's nickname? Truthfully, I made it up on the spot. If you have a different one, msg me, and I'll consider it. ^-^

(1) (2) (3) Naruto's tattoo, ninjato, and older version of him can be found on a link in my profile. The pics do not, in no way, belongs to me. The Naruto pic doesn't have a scarf on him, so just add one in yur imagination :P

One thing for people who don't read the details. KYUUBI IS A GUY. I really don't want the Kyuubi to be a girl. It's just… weird. Like, it takes out the menacing evil fox's reputation by a landslide. You know what I mean? and no, Kyuubi will not be a goody goody fox. But he won't be necessarily evil as well.

Thank you all readers for reviewing. They put a big stupid grin on my face. xD

**-black panda OTL**


	7. Chapter 6: Cat vs Dog

Hey people. Here's chapter 6 :P. anyway, there are a lot of fighting scenes in this chapter. I've never done fighting scenes before, and so, they're usually short . but I'm trying. Tell me if you like 'em.

I usually listen to battle music as I type them out lol

Naruto's personality is kind of hard to type. I'm not trying to make him too AU, or else… he wouldn't be Naruto, y'know? The big difference from his dobe mask is that he is more mature, sarcastic, and collected, while still having that awkwardness characterised by Minato. Hope that clears things up.

* * *

"_Be good, and you will be lonesome, _

_Be lonesome and you will be free. _

_Live a lie and you will live to regret it, _

_That's what living is to me." _

- Jimmy Buffett, That's What Living Is To Me

* * *

**VI Cat vs Dog**

_Being a part of ANBU was suppose to be a test of my skills. Could (technically) 6 years of training be enough to get into the ANBU Black Ops? The best of the best, the dark assassins of the leaf? _

_I grew up quickly in those halls. I ran, bled, and killed for the sake of Konoha, and to get stronger. And I did. But Kyuubi thought I was pushing it. _

_Think of a normal boy determined to become stronger; to become a ninja to protect his precious ones. He becomes a genin, and soon becomes friends with his cell mates. His first mission was a boring D-rank mission consisting of weeding the neighbour's garden. _

_Me, I'm not a normal boy. I __**was **__determined to become stronger. But I became ANBU, and on my first mission, I killed over 10 people in cold blood. So, although I was just a 10 year old, I really wasn't. _

-Naruto

**~xXx~**

"What possessed you to get tattoos on your shoulders?"

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. He was in one of probably hundreds of rooms in the ANBU headquarters, and finally getting his tattoo. The problem was that his red tattoos covered the entire part of both shoulders as well as part of his back. There was an unknown rule that the ANBU symbol was to be tattooed on one shoulder, but it wasn't really possible now.

Truthfully, he really liked the red tattoos. The ANBU uniform didn't have armour on the shoulders, leaving it bare. Thus, the red tattoos were openly shown. Did it make him feel badass? Why yes it did. Just don't tell Kyuubi that.

"Just put it anywhere but my face, thanks."

"Kaay," the Tattoo artist said, raising an eyebrow. "I'll put it on your left forearm then."

He reached for Naruto's left arm only for it to be jerked back.

Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, how about my right arm?"

The man rolled his eyes before removing the ANBU arm guards off his right arm. After a few painful minutes, he finished. He rustled around in the nearby drawers before pulling out some white bandages, and wrapped it around the arm.

"Keep the bandage on for 24 hours, ya hear?"

Donning back on his mask, Naruto waved lazily over his shoulder as he got up from the chair and went to the door. He was just about to open the door when it slammed open in front of him. Naruto blinked up at the slightly taller figure of Squirrel in front of him.

"There's a Squad Meeting, Pantera. Since you've just gotten the tattoo, you wouldn't have felt it, so I came to get you."

"Felt it?" Naruto asked curiously.

"When the Taichou calls for a meeting, the tattoo would burn slightly, but we haven't applied the jutsu to yours yet. Now come on, let's go!!"

Naruto managed a brief thanks to the amused tattoo artist just before he was dragged off down the hallways by a worried Squirrel. (lol) He led him through a dizzying number of hallways before stopping in front of a door, unique by it's pure white color compared to the other wooden doors.

The door opened with a loud squeak as the two entered.

The room was pretty bare, with a concrete ceiling and floor. In the middle of the room was a large square wooden table, surrounded by various different chairs and couches.

4 ANBU masks looked up simultaneously as they entered. Naruto immediately recognized them, including Squirrel, as the 5 ANBU who had escorted him into the headquarters from before.

The only one he knew was Yugao or Cat, immediately distinguished by her long purple hair and her cat ANBU mask. She was sitting on the far side of the room on a wooden chair, and waved coolly at him.

Squirrel cleared his throat. "Squad White, meet Pantera, our new squad member."

The 4 members scrutinized him carefully. Although, the one lounging on the couch wearing what appeared to be a Dog ANBU mask, looked at him up and down.

"A blonde, eh?" He drawled in an approving voice. Cat snorted in amusement beside him.

Finally one of them stepped forward.

This ANBU was the only girl besides Cat, and her mask was slightly different, as it was completely white with only grey lines to distinguish the animal, a bird. She was slightly small and slender, and had waist length brown hair tied in a low ponytail.

"Dove. Pleased to meet you," she said politely in a surprisingly soft soprano voice.

Naruto grinned. "Jaguar." He shook her hand warmly.

"Oh, so that's what Pantera meant." Another ANBU said suddenly. He was taller than average and had a slightly stocky built. Brown, spiked back hair was visible behind a more menacing mask of a bird of prey. "We all weren't exactly sure."

He smiled. How Naruto could see that, he didn't know. "Eagle." He said, thrusting out a hand. Naruto accepted it with another grin.

Suddenly, Eagle paused for a second, before cocking his head slightly to the side. "You can see them too. Their memories, I mean."

The way he said it was more like a confirmation, than a question. But before Naruto could reply, Cat laughed nervously before shoving Eagle out of the way.

"Ahahaha….. Don't mind Eagle. He says random sentences a lot, you'll get used to it. Anyway, Hyena, aren't you going to greet Jaguar as well?" she said, a dangerous undertone in her voice as she addressed the last member of Squad White.

The person Naruto had previously assumed was Dog, but really Hyena, had shoulder length black hair tinted brown. It was unruly and unkempt and frequently fell into the eyeholes of his mask. Hyena looked up from the couch and waved his hand up energetically in the air as if he was asking permission for a question.

"Yes, Hyena?" Cat said with a sigh.

"I want to spar with the rookie." he whined. "Taichou isn't here, so can I..?"

"Well…" Cat said thoughtfully. "We SHOULD get a grasp on Jaguar's abilities…"

"That's fine with me!" Naruto said quickly, trying and failing not to grin. He's been grinning way too much lately. But a _spar_. With an experienced ANBU. Naruto was mentally jumping up and down with excitement.

"Well, alright then! To the training rooms!" Hyena declared, walking dramatically out the room.

Dove shook her head slightly before following after his heels, everybody in tow. Squirrel walked beside Naruto, telling him some facts about Hyena. On another note, Squirrel really does love explaining things, doesn't he?

"Hyena is our close combat fighter along with Taichou and Eagle. He combines his fire element with his clan jutsu and is very proficient at kenjutsu. Above average, anyway. Nowhere near Konoha's sword master, Hayate, but who is?. Anyway, you see his mask? It looks like a Dog more than a Hyena, right? Well, that's because Hyena is officially listed as Dog, but everybody just calls him Hyena."

"Er, right." Naruto said in puzzlement. _Why Hyena?_

The squad arrived in one of the more private training rooms, for practice with Squads. It was a basic, bare room with the ground covered in some gritty substance somewhat similar to a dust road. The two stood near the middle of the room, their masks glaring at each other, Jaguar to Hyena. The rest of the Squad stood outside near the window. Dove and Eagle had drilled a few holes in the glass so it wouldn't be soundproof and they all waited patiently.

Naruto slid into his taijutsu stance, looking over coolly at Hyena. Hyena growled loudly, and cracked his knuckles.

"Let's see that pretty little face." he half-mocked before disappearing in a blur.

Hyena was a close-ranged fighter, which was perfectly fine with Naruto. Because Kano also focused primarily on taijutsu, he was used to fighting this kind of battle and blocked the punch with ease. The armguard cracked slightly under the pressure.

_Brass Knuckles? Should avoid those.._

From that point, it became a pure taijutsu battle, neither wanting to 'resort' to ninjutsu. While Naruto's Golden Dragon Style relied on speed and flexibility, Hyena's used brute strength and counter attacks. Their two distinct styles were completely cancelling each other out. Hyena grimaced, the rookie had a pretty decent speed.

As if reading his mind, Naruto smirked under the Jaguar mask, and threw a sudden swift punch at his neck which was dodged at a hair width apart. Naruto's eyes flashed a brief dark red, and Hyena staggered back, arms covering his head, as numerous _things_ began painfully making slashes along his arms, and chest, shredding the cloth and making long scratches against the armour.

Cat whistled. "Looks like our rookie got the first blood."

Hyena seemed to stare at the numerous cuts, but then snarled loudly, a feral sound that reverberated in the room. Claws appeared on his hands, and vivid yellow eyes glowed briefly in the mask. The cuts closed in a hiss of steam.

/Feral appearance, minor regenerative ability boost, yellow eyes… huhuhuhu, the enemy is an Inuzuka, human./

Along with those traits, there was a increase of speed. Naruto felt himself backing up as he struggled against the fierce onslaught of his attacks. Minor cuts appeared, on his arms, and legs, before he finally had enough. Thinking fast, Naruto threw down a smoke bomb, and released a wave of shadow clones before retreating.

The smoke bomb was a special kind developed by himself. Not only did it cover a big range, nearly half the room, but it also released a putrid smell similar to rotten eggs. Not wanting to waste the moment, Naruto took a deep breathe and counted 5 hand seals. He simultaneously released his shadow clones, and info crammed into his mind. Naruto turned towards the left side of 'smoke cloud,' where he knew Hyena would be, disoriented. He cupped a hand around his mouth.

**Fuuton: Daitoppa**

The giant, deadly gales of wind blew away all the putrid smoke before slamming into Hyena. Hyena was blown off his feet and flew in a wide arch in the air before colliding into the wall in a large cloud of dust.

"How much chakra did he put in that thing?" Cat exclaimed in excitement to Eagle as she watched the spar. "That was one exceptionally powerful Daitoppa. Does he have a wind affinity?"

Eagle merely smiled.

Naruto squinted through the dust cloud, and his blood froze when it revealed… a log.

**Kaiton: Rouga (Fire Release: Wolf Fang)**

He whipped around just as a large suspended tornado of fire rammed straight into his head, sending searing pain through his body and sending him a few decent feet away.

Hyena crouched down against the ground, panting slightly. The Kawarimi no Jutsu was a close call. The gale had actually managed to break his ANBU mask nearly in half, before he had enough time to do the seals. The absence of the mask revealed a man in his early twenties, with long black bangs partially covering his bright yellow eyes. While there wasn't any of the Inuzuka clan's characteristic red fang tattoos, there was a single jagged scar running along his left jaw.

He smirked, _oh this was fun_. He broke out of his thoughts as he looked up at the rookie.

Naruto jumped back up quickly despite the throbbing burns along his neck and arms. He didn't bother to check them as they would fully heal in a few minutes. Suddenly, Naruto heard a crumbling noise, and felt his mask, cracked in two places, shatter and falling in pieces onto the ground. He frowned momentarily. They _did_ have replacements for those things, right?

On the other side of the room, all of the squad member's watched in stunned silence.

Oblivious, Naruto felt a strong sense of irritation borderline anger at Hyena. He threw a rapid burst of shuriken and kunai as Hyena just stared gaping openly at him. He managed to dodge the projectiles at the last possible second, and they thudded dully on the ground near his feet.

A large and rather creepy grin formed on Hyena's face.

"Well, well, the rookie finally shows his face. And what a….. _nice_ face it is too…"

Naruto spat out blood. "You're paying for that mask…"

"Bring it, rookie."

Both of them smirked, and both Hyena and Naruto unsheathed their katanas before disappearing in a blur.

Clash! The two began exchanging blows again. Cat whistled softly as she watched the spar. The two looked more like they were in a sword dance then a deadly spar. They twisted and turned just a split second before being nearly sliced in half by the other person's blade. To be able to predict Hyena's movements at that speed… the rookie was good, she'd give him that.

Suddenly, the blades met in a loud screech of metal, each trying to push against each other. Naruto was soon distracted by the stalemate, though, by a sudden ear-splitting sound close to his ear.

"HYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Hyena started laughing insanely in a high pitched voice, as his katana began to burn red hot with a hissing noise.

/So _that's _why he was called Hyena… Wow./

Naruto watched as his katana began to melt under the heat. Then, with a loud snap, the blade broke in half at the hilt, and Naruto had to block the burning sword's impending slash with a kunai he quickly whipped out, which also began to rapidly melt.

"KAI!" Naruto yelled, bringing his other hand into the release seal. In a large poof of smoke, the shuriken lying forgotten on the ground from before transformed back into a large group of shadow clones.

The nearest one quickly tripped Hyena, and he only had the time to widen his eyes before he was suddenly disarmed, and pinned to the ground by 7 separate Narutos.

In one swift motion, Naruto jumped up right above Hyena, and made 5 familiar hand seals before bringing his right hand to his mouth.

**Fuuton: Daitoppa**

Hyena screwed his eyes shut, his body tense and waiting for the impending gale, but it never came. He peeked one eye open, just to see a smirking Naruto holding him at sword point…. Well knife point, since it was a kunai.

Naruto smirked in triumph, and Hyena scowled as the shadow clones disappeared in a large pop of smoke.

Hyena staggered upright. He looked like a mess. The ANBU armour was torn and shredded in some places and his chest armour had a large slash across the middle. His mask, which rested crookedly on the side of his head, had a large slash on it, nearly cutting it in half.

Not that Naruto was looking his best, but it wasn't that bad. He also had numerous tears in his clothes, and a completely shattered mask. Hopefully, nobody noticed that his cuts had healed already.

Hyena spat out blood before grinning wildly.

"You win this time, rookie. But one day, I _will_ top you."

_Hey fox…_

/What, human./

_This guy creeps me out._

/Urgh, me too…/

Naruto looked down at his now broken katana before sheathing it. The adrenaline rush was slowly fading, making him suddenly aware of his sudden sore muscles. For some reason, the feeling only made him grin. He did it, he actually defeated an ANBU.

"Oi, rookie." Hyena scowled, seeing the grin. "Rematch. Now."

Cat rolled her eyes, before coming up to the two. The sudden turn around truthfully made her excited. Spars between members wasn't uncommon, but they didn't usually put in everything they got. She raised an eyebrow at the grinning blonde, his intense blue eyes filled with pride, but averted her eyes as she came closer.

_I have a boyfriend! And Hayate is one sexy swordsman!! _She repeated in her head. Subconsciously, she found herself checking him out, but quickly stopped herself.

"No rematch. I think we have got enough of Jaguar's abilities. A mid-ranged to close-ranged fighter with a wind affinity. Close enough? Now, both of you, go to the hospital while Eagle, Dove, and I check Jaguar's performance."

Naruto raised an elegant eyebrow, causing Cat to turn away swiftly. Okaaay. Well anyway, wasn't Ookami suppose to spar him? On another note, he wasn't even here for the meeting. Strange…

Hyena got up and stretched his legs and arms with a slight wince. Squirrel, seemingly popping out of nowhere, seemed to notice Naruto's confusion as he explained it to him. "Taichou just probably just called the meeting so that you could get familiar with the Squad, Jaguar. He's almost never at the meetings themselves, though."

Naruto nodded with understanding, but couldn't help but feel disappointed. He was looking forward to a spar with the Taichou himself. To clash bloodline to bloodline. Huh, oh well.

Naruto and Hyena walked down the hallways in silence. Heads turned more frequently as they walked past, since they weren't wearing their masks. More stares were centered on Naruto though, making him slightly uneasy.

"It's because you're hot."

Naruto stared at Hyena, a blank look on his face.

"It's because you're hot." he repeated, a smirk growing on his face.

"Uh, right," Naruto said slowly, not liking that smirk.

The rest of the walk was filled with an awkward silence, on Naruto's part anyway. Hyena appeared to be relaxed despite his injuries (bleeding profusely) and had his hands placed casually into his pockets, Uchiha style.

"Interesting bloodline you got there. Kick ass black eyes." Hyena said suddenly.

Naruto cursed in his mind. He thought people would chalk it up as a seal less fuuton jutsu.

"It's not a big deal…" Naruto replied calmly.

"Hell, yes it is, rookie!" Hyena laughed. "What was that you threw at me? It felt like a kind of metal. Or can you just make things invisible or something?"

Despite his really obnoxious and rather creepy personality, (reminded him of a certain classmate…) Naruto had to give him some credit. The guy could be really observant when he wanted to.

Naruto rolled his eyes but remained silent.

Hyena looked back at him for a long moment, before snorting.

"We ain't going to tell anybody. You earned our respect, rookie. Your background is kinda suspicious, but I don't think you're any danger. From the second the others met you, I could tell that they thought so too."

Naruto blinked in surprise. "Uh, thanks." he mumbled awkwardly.

Hyena gave him that now familiar and creepy smirk.

Naruto hasn't memorized his way through the dizzying amount of hallways yet, and so was forced to follow Hyena. It was only when they reached what Naruto thought was the exit out that he realized why Ookami wasn't at the meeting.

Ookami was already there near the exit, handing in a few papers to another ANBU behind a desk. He was apparently just back from a mission. He turned to face us and Hyena whistled loudly and Naruto felt his eyes widening.

Ookami looked…. terrifying. His armour was cracked and broken in several places. His unruly hair, once spiky and a brilliant silver, was matted with blood and drooped into his face, which was seen since the Wolf mask was adjusted to the side of his head. His entire frame was splattered with blood and gore, still dripping onto the concrete floor.

But what really got Naruto was the eyes. They were the darkest blue he has ever seen, and seemingly emotionless. They looked more like eyes of a dead man. Ookami's gaze flickered to his own briefly before looking at the pair of them up and down.

"I'm guessing the 'rookie' won?" Ookami asked bluntly.

Hyena's yellow eyes twitched horribly. "Meh. You going to the hospital? Why don'cha join us?"

Ookami tilted his head a little in confirmation and the trio walked out the door.

Running across the rooftops was both silent but quick. Ookami easily matched our speed, but had a slight limp that Hyena was quick to spot. He growled and tried to slower the pace but Ookami shook his head.

There was one incident as we ran across the roofs. Almost three quarters to the hospital, Ookami had stopped suddenly, making Naruto nearly bump into him. Ookami glanced at him for a split second before averting his eyes and looking down at the street below us.

Hyena paused, looking back at us, and raising an eyebrow. Ookami merely waved him off, but Hyena snorted and sat down on the tiled roof stubbornly. Ookami rolled his eyes before henge-ing into a civilian and disappearing in a blur.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked curiously, crouching down.

"Taichou is going to buy something." Hyena replied bluntly, picking off something in his teeth.

"And we're waiting for him?"

"Obviously, rookie. Must be something important, though, for him to get it now."

Naruto didn't reply. His bright blue eyes turned that familiar dark red, the black 3-pointed star whirring gently as he scanned the crowd. He was curious, okay? His black eyes looked through the auras before finding Ookami. It stood out as it had two unique contrasting colors; silvery blue in the middle, and a black and red on the outside.

The aura was floating slowly through the crowd, before going into-

"He went into a flower shop." Naruto said numbly.

"What?!" Hyena whispered loudly, suddenly appearing next to Naruto and whipping out a pair of binoculars out of nowhere.

"Wonder why?"

"Girlfriend?"

"Nah, probably buying somethin' for another patient."

"How about a friend?"

"Maybe a dog."

"A…. dog?"

"Taichou likes dogs."

Naruto blinked. The black aura suddenly disappeared.

"Hey…. I think I lost him…"

Hyena narrowed his eyes. "Huh, me too…"

Suddenly, both of them widened their eyes in realization and wiped their heads to the left simultaneously. There was a rapidly disappearing white blur off in the distance, speeding off towards the hospital.

"What the hell?!" Hyena shouted indignantly, causing many heads to look up his way.

Naruto just laughed.

_________________________________________

Naruto spent most of his time training and exploring the ANBU headquarters. There was more people in ANBU than he thought, with about 6 squads, totally the ANBU at around 48 people in total. He had no idea why they were named after colours. The person naming them probably had no sense of creativity. (XD)

Surprisingly, there was a small library here, composing of scrolls mostly for new ANBU, and, commence sweat drop, books like 'How to Assassinate One with a Pencil.' Naruto went there a lot, usually to read up on his stealth. If there was one thing Naruto lacked, it was stealth and genjutsu. He had completely forgotten what exactly the ANBU specified on, and as such, strived to improve on it.

Thank god for the Kage Bunshin no jutsu. There was about 10 shadow clones near his apartment, practicing as he read.

Suddenly, his ANBU tattoo began burning briefly. There was a Squad meeting.

Squad meetings were quite frequent now. Since there was a new member, himself, the squad had to cram years of info in his head in case they would have a group mission, which required teamwork, codes, ANBU hand signs, battle formations, etc. Not only that, but the Squad had to argue about which placement he would fit into. During infiltration missions and such, the group usually had to split into two groups to cover more ground.

Naruto cracked his neck abruptly, before getting up, pushing back his chair, and leaving the library, snapping back on his Jaguar mask along the way. He walked down through the twists and winding hallways, and was about to turn right when a voice interrupted him.

/Left, human. Sheesh./

Naruto scowled before turning the other way. He hasn't completely memorized every hallway yet, and he had a sneaking suspicious the hallways went all across Konoha.

Naruto knocked three times in rapid succession, before entering. Everybody was already there, lounging around in random furniture. Cat immediately walked up in front of him, and pressed a finger onto his mask. She has done this so many times, so the movement seemed automatic. The mask glowed the leaf symbol before fading away.

Everybody waved lazily in acknowledgement before falling silent again.

The second time Naruto has been in here, he was oddly touched to find that a large red egg chair was left for him, and he collapsed into it with a sigh, and, mirroring Cat, Hyena, and Dove, propped his feet onto the wooden table.

Since it was slightly stuffy in the room, Naruto slightly adjusted the mask to the side of his head, but immediately regretted it when he felt yellow eyes staring at the back of his head. Oh well, too late.

Judging by the fact that everybody was quiet and still waiting for Taichou, he didn't usually come in for the meetings, Naruto came up with one conclusion:

_Mission time. _

They lounged about in the room for a few more minutes, before Ookami finally came in, running a hand through his spiky hair with a small sigh. Instead of Cat pressing a finger to his mask, he did a few hand seals in quick succession, and they all relaxed.

He took out a scroll from out of nowhere, and unrolled it.

"Squad White, we were assigned with an S-rank mission for the entire group." Here, his eyes flickered to Jaguar. "There is a group of C-rank and B-rank missing nins confirmed to be conspiring against minor Daimyos. In other words, assassination the leaders of minor villages, most of which were known to be important trading villages for Konoha."

He flipped the scroll so that it was facing us, and Naruto had a glimpse of a small map of the continent, where a red marker had circled a small area near Cloud territory.

"We are to meet an informant in a small village near Cloud country. Cloud isn't particularly keen on having Konoha ninja in their territory, so we will have to go under cover as civilians."

Here, he whipped out another scroll detailing numerous faces, and laid it carefully on the wooden table.

"We are to assassinate all conspiring members, and any relatives of said ninjas. Konoha wants them and all traces of them to disappear completely. It is only because of the informant that we have this information before the other countries."

_So basically, we go dress up as civilians, meet the spy, find and kill our targets, cut off their heads and stuff it into scrolls, and come back just in time for lunch? _Naruto mused.

/Huhuhuhu, finally, BLOOD! Bone crushing, blood sp**urting, kids screaming, head slicing-/**

_Hey, fox…_

**/-rey FUN!!/ **

…_Are you done yet?_

/…Maybe./

_Good._

"Anyway, we leave in 2 hours, so get everything ready and meet at the Konoha Gates." Ookami finished slowly, oblivious to Jaguar's inner musing.

Everybody nodded simultaneously before huddling closer to the scroll on the table, trying to get a picture and some info on the missing nins. Naruto didn't really care and so, left out the minute the meeting was over.

Surprisingly, Ookami followed me out.

They walked in silence, Naruto walking casually and Ookami keeping pace easily, and reading a book. To be honest, being with Wolf right now made Naruto slightly nervous. He swore that the guy was staring at him from behind that god damn orange book! But his eyes were riveted down on the book. It was unnerving.

Naruto scratched the back of his head with one hand subconsciously.

"So… Why exactly did you buy flowers from before?" Naruto asked, partially out of curiosity, but mostly just for something to say.

Ookami didn't reply, his eyes engrossed on his book. It was weird, though, since when Naruto looked closely, he saw that the pupils weren't moving and were just staring vacantly at the page. Although Naruto has seen him blatantly ignore people plenty of times, it was the first time he's seen him have that vacant look in his eye. It kind of freaked him out.

"Hellooo?" Naruto said slowly, boldly waving a hand in front of his face. "Taichou..?"

Suddenly, Ookami looked up at Naruto's expectant face and blinked once.

"Did you say something?"

Naruto scowled. But the most shocking thing happened next. Ookami _laughed_. It was such a light and carefree sound, and felt so weird yet right hearing it coming from him.

Naruto wasn't the only one shocked, though.

There was large crashes as all the ANBU simultaneously stumbled on their own feet, some actually falling to the ground. The scene was so bizarre that all Naruto could do was stare.

Ookami didn't seem to notice. The laugh soon faded into a light chuckle. He ran a hand through his silver hair before looking back at Naruto.

"See you at the gate," he said lightly before disappearing in a whirl of leaves.

------------

Kyuubi was oddly quiet as Naruto began packing for the mission. It didn't take that long, probably only around 15 minutes. He packed some soldier pills, rations, a basic medical kit, and an extra mask. The ANBU mask always either cracked or broke completely every few days, much to his chagrin. (Thank Hyena for that) He rewrapped the bandages around his arms and legs, and strapped on a relatively new katana and some knives stored in his boots, and armguards. Naruto readjusted the red scarf on his neck and donned on the ANBU black cloak before nodding to himself in the mirror. He was ready… and he still had 1 hour and 30 minutes left.

The rain was pouring harder than usual, but with nothing else to do, Naruto left his apartment to go walking for a bit. There was still some staring, since he was in ANBU, but compared to his real self, it was simply _weird_. He became so used to them, seeing looks of curiosity instead of disgust put him on edge more than usual. So, instead of walking through the streets, he decided to go to the training grounds instead.

He saw some familiar people, like Sasuke practicing throwing his shuriken, and even walked passed Kiba, who was taking Akamaru out for a walk. But what made Naruto pause was a small girl practicing by herself at the far end of the area.

With her purple hair, soaking wet from the rain, and her large purple jacket, she seemed really familiar to Naruto. Her pale blue pupil less eyes made her from the Hyuga clan. Kind of curious, Naruto slowly approached her.

"Ano, hello?" Naruto asked lightly, tapping her shoulder.

The girl startled badly, and whirled around. On instinct, she threw a chakra laden palm aimed at his chest, but Naruto dodged it swiftly and grabbed her arm before flipping her over his shoulder. She landed on the ground with a muffled thump.

She blushed lightly with embarrassment at her predicament.

"I'm so sorry, ANBU-san." She said, scrambling up and bowing. "I-I didn't see you there."

"Even with the byakugan?" Naruto laughed softly. The girl flushed again.

"I was too… busy, I guess… G-gomen, gomen…"

Naruto didn't say anything. He stared hard at the girl who fidgeted under his gaze. Something about her wasn't right. And she seemed so familiar. Suddenly, it clicked. Hyuga Hinata, his academy classmate, and the heir to the Hyuga clan.

"Why are you pretending?" he said finally.

"S-sorry?"

"You may look embarrassed, and you may stutter, but your heart rate is normal. Normal people, when scared, usually let their eyes wander. You, you keep your eyes on one spot on the ground. Why are you stuttering? Acting like a shy scaredy cat isn't becoming of one of the main branch."

The girl, Hinata, stared down at the ground in silence, her fingers still twirling around each other. Suddenly, they faltered, and she looked up boldly to meet his eyes. And Naruto was taken back by the cool determination in her eyes.

"Hinata-sama!"

The intense mood was broken as another Hyuga Naruto hasn't seen before, came forward to her. He was probably only a year older than her, and had long brown hair tied in a low ponytail. His pale eyes glanced warily at him before focusing on Hinata.

"The Hyuga Head is looking for you, Hinata-sama." The boy said in a mock-polite voice. The instant their eyes connected, Naruto felt a burning anger inside the guy that he knew he didn't like.

"G-good bye, ANBU-san." Hinata said softly, bowing again. "Let's go, Neji-niisan." Neji bowed stiffly and both of them soon vanished into the trees.

/What the hell was that, human?/

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

_I can tell. She's wearing a mask. She stutters, and blushes but I know she's forcing herself to do it. It's weird, because it doesn't make sense why she's doing it in the first place. But the fact that she's even pretending makes me sick. _

/Huhuhuhu, hypocrite, much?/

_Shut up, fox. Pretending to be something you're not, lying to everyone everyday nearly 24/7, it's tiring. It disgusts me to see other people doing it too. _

/Self righteous hyprocrite./

Naruto rolled his eyes, before checking his watch. (do they even have watches?) Crap, he only had 10 minutes to get to the Konoha Gates. He disappeared in a blur, heading towards the gate at full speed.

The rest of the squad, except for Ookami himself, was there already: Squirrel, Cat, Hyena, Dove, and Eagle. Most of them were just standing around, and double checking their equipment. Cat waved lazily at me, and did the normal procedure of poking my mask, before continuing gazing out the streets again.

Suddenly, a sick looking jounin wearing a hitai-ate bandanna over brown hair came around the corner, strolling towards them, and his muscles tense for some reason.

And Naruto soon knew why.

"HAYATE!!" Cat screamed. It was like something out of a romance movie, as she ran towards him in slow motion, a joyful look on her face. The only difference was that Hayate was standing frozen to the spot. They met, and Cat hugged him tightly, and Hayate quickly returned it.

"*cough* Yugao, good luck on your mission…" Hayate smiled weakly, patting her on the back.

"Hayate…" Cat sighed contently, before pulling off her mask. Naruto caught sight of large brown eyes on a woman around her twenties before the two began kissing passionately.

Eagle smiled lightly. "Ah, young love."

Naruto chuckled nervously and turned away. Seeing as everybody seemed relaxed, Naruto began double checking his equipment just for the heck of it. Dove was just absentmindedly staring out into the trees, and Squirrel writing things in a random notebook. Cat was still intertwined with Hayate, and Eagle was, eerily enough, watching them. Hyena had crouched down before whipping out a pack of cards and started playing solitaire. And Ookami still hasn't come yet.

Eagle suddenly turned away from the still kissing couple, and stared at the sky.

"Taichou seems really tired, today." He voiced out loud.

Dove hummed in agreement while Naruto paused from rummaging in his bag.

**---- **

_But what really got Naruto was the eyes. They were the darkest blue he has ever seen, and seemingly emotionless. They looked more like eyes of a dead man. _

**----**

Hyena glanced up at Naruto from the game and scoffed. "Don't think too much of it, rookie. Taichou was probably just back from another mission. Who wouldn't be tired?"

Squirrel looked up from his notebook. "Taichou has the most number of solo missions, ANBU or not." he quipped.

"Dammit, Squirrel! Will you stop butting into other people's conversations?!"

"I was just adding to your statement."

The two faltered as Ookami came suddenly, jumping down in front of the squad from the rooftops. He was dressed in the white cloak indicating a Captain over his normal ANBU uniform.

He gave a two finger salute to Squad White, who quickly arranged in front of him. "Yo, team. Squad White ready and accounted for? Good, now let's-"

"Taichou!!"

Ookami blinked before looking at Squirrel who was pointing accusing at his arm. Everybody looked at it simultaneously, seeing a small white bandage on his wrist, with small red stains.

Ookami sighed. "For the last time, Yamato. I am not cutting."

"B-but…"

"Really. Now, can we go?"

Everybody nodded quickly, before disappearing in a blur. Cat lingered, and blew Hayate a kiss before leaving as well. The only evidence of them being there was the abandoned pack of cards on the ground.

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**TBC**

_______________________________________________________

Hope you like this chapter. Its kinda shorter than the last one at 16 pages, but man, if felt like thelongest. Here's some info

Squad White consists of 7 members:

**Ookami **_(Wolf) _- the sarcastic genius

**Jaguar **_(Naruto) _- our favourite protagonist

**Cat **_(Yugao) _- a tomboy, but has her girly moments

**Squirrel **_(Yamato) _- worships the ground Kakashi walks on

**Hyena **_(An Inuzuka) _- perceptive, and cocky

**Dove **_(?)_- polite and aloof

**Eagle **_(?)_- plain weird.

I'm pretty proud of these characters, lol. And yes, Hyena is gay. Never wrote about a gay person before, it's a nice change. But his personality and sexuality is purely for laughs. That's it.

Sorry that I changed the Kakashi vs. Jaguar fight to a Naruto vs. Hyena fight. They will fight, though, but in the future. Where Naruto actually has a chance :P

Kakashi is not cutting.

Anyway, the reason I did the hinata thing, is because although her shy personality is sweet and all, the romance isn't going to work if she's going to faint every time she sees him. So Hinata will have more backbone but will essentially still be the same person.

I thank you all for reviewing. They mean a lot :)

**-black panda OTL**


	8. Chapter 7: Feelings in the Snow

As satisfying as it is getting used to my new and improved writing style, its actually more agonizing writing chapters lol. Maybe all the details are just driving me insane. I swear they're all getting longer to write every chapter. quality takes time y'know… .

I wonder if this is how other writers feel, after publishing their 30th chapter…. With the rate I'm going.. high school next year will be pure agony. I'll need all the time I can get.

But then I think of the ending.. And I think, maybe I'll pull through somehow…

Somehow… o.o

_**___________________________________________________________________**_

_"Listen to my story… This may be my last chance."_

-Tidus (Final Fantasy X)

**VII Feelings in the Snow**

_Everybody knows that I always wanted to be Hokage. In fact, I screamed it to the world. Literally. It's another one of the things that I share with my dobe mask. Because I _do_ want to be Hokage. I want to be acknowledged, I want people to know me as me, and not what I am. But most of all, I want to protect them. I want to protect the façade they show to the world, and turn it into reality._

_To turn the hell into a heaven. Hey, I can hope, can't I?_

_But I have a secret. I have another dream. One that I haven't told anyone, not even Kano. It's such a childish dream, really. I want to fly. I want to soar above the clouds, and look down at the world and laugh. The absolute rush of freedom as I crap on Neji's head. Ha, now that's__ fate. Wait, did I actually write that? Hmm, I must be tired._

_The birds fly above me in the sky. And I can't help but think of angels. Holy people blessed with the white wings of a bird. Oji-san would always tell me about them. Angels were the souls of the dead. They lived high above the clouds and watched over us. He said that there was a kind of angel called a guardian angel, that would look over you, and protect you. They'll whisper in your ear to persuade onto the right path. He called them the good side of your 'consciousness.'_

_And as sappy as it sounds, I want to be an angel too. The guardian angel of Konoha. _

_But of course, I don't want to die._

-Naruto

**~xXx~**

A wolf howled at the full moon barely lit from the overcast sky, like something out of a cliché horror movie. Down below the clouds were small shadowy figures, jumping rapidly across the ground. Large stands of trees turned gradually into even terrain, and bamboo forests, forcing the figures to run on the ground, silent as ghosts.

Far at the back of the Squad, a slim figure trailed after the rest of the dark shadows, gradually falling to the back of the group as he pondered his thoughts. Sunkissed, spiky blonde hair flew around his mask and vision, visible only as a small yellow blur in the darkness. It was at times like these that Naruto cursed Konoha's wide territories. Despite their fast pace, it had taken days to get to Cloud country, and even now, they were still a few miles short. Everybody else seemed to feel the same way, although they didn't show it. Ookami especially, who appeared to be more on edge than usual. Just seeing him jumping on the branches a few feet in front of the squad, idly fingering a kunai in one hand, was enough to make them all feel subdued.

Naruto's shaky breathe came out as a crystallized mist in front of him, (he had taken off the red scarf a few hours back) before whipping off in the wind. He was just seriously considering taking another soldier pill when Ookami called a halt.

"After a few miles, we will officially be in Cloud. We'll drop here for the night before changing into our civilian henges, and head to the main road."

The Squad didn't need to be told twice. Dove and Eagle had already vanished into the mist to explore the perimeter of their camp, and set up traps. Squirrel and Cat were busy clearing the area while Hyena pulled out another pack of cards. Not really knowing what to do, Naruto scanned their 'camp.' The area was slightly higher than usual but not by much. The ground appeared to be the same level all around. There was this heavy feeling of detachment out here that Naruto couldn't shake off.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Naruto gave a new critical eye at the camp. While they do have the cover of darkness, and the overcast cloudy night, the ground was too level for people to not notice a sort of light or fire in the distance so he could scratch that idea…. No wait-

Naruto pressed a hand against the closest bamboo tree, and closed his eyes automatically as his clear blue eyes turned dark. It had become an automatic reaction, so that others wouldn't see the bloodline change. Absolutely useless during battle, though. On another note, maybe he could get tinted goggles to hide (most) of the change. He stored the idea in his mind for later.

Naruto sent a pulse of chakra through the tree, and it ran down the tree before vanishing off in the distance like a ripple on the water. It was the same 'echolocation' technique he used trying to find some Uchiha survivors. The concentration took a few minutes to perform it, though.

The effect was immediately. And Naruto could 'see' any humans in a few miles away. The reason he could see only humans was because they had the most complex chakra system, and so, was the easiest to spot. Animals and other wildlife were more harder as they had less chakra and most were smaller.

…There weren't any potential enemies out for a few miles. Meaning, making a fire was a good-to-go.

Slightly glad for something to do, Naruto busied himself with the kindling, breaking off numerous bamboo stands and heaping them in a small pile. Satisfied with the pile, he applied a low level kaiton jutsu, and there was soon a small fire burning cheerily in the camp.

Just then, Dove and Eagle, came in, and took one glance at the fire, before saluting Ookami.

"The forest for a few metres away seems the same as everything else for the past 2 days. The alarm traps surrounding the site has been secured, Taichou." Dove reported.

Ookami nodded and looked at Eagle for confirmation. Eagle smiled. And once again, Naruto wondered how everybody seemed to know he was doing it.

"Okay. Everybody settle in for the night. I'll take first wa-"

"Taichou!! I'll take first watch!"

Ookami turned to Squirrel and blinked. "Well, okay, then. Squirrel will take first watch and I'll take se-"

"I'll be second, sir." Hyena quipped.

"Wel-"

"Third." Eagle said, raising a finger.

"Taichou, I'm fourth!" Cat volunteered enthusiastically.

Ookami paused, but there weren't any more volunteers. He sighed.

"Okay.. I'm tak-"

"Fifth… sir." Dove added, seeing his half hearted glare directed at her.

Ookami turned his glare towards Jaguar, the only one who hasn't said a thing since the entire conversation. The others turned expectant faces-er masks on him as well.

Naruto yawned. "Don't care who goes first, really."

Ookami rolled his eyes as well before heading towards the tent. "I'll be… sixth then. Switch around every hour."

"Yes, sir!"

The amount of personality on the ANBU actually scared Naruto at first. It completely destroyed the dark reputation the ANBU black ops had created. But he soon knew why it seemed different. Because it _was _different, from other Squads, anyway. Other teams had a sort of an acquaintance sort of relationship with their other members. They were expected to risk their lives for each other, but they were just comrades, nothing else. It was their job to look after each other, for the sake of the whole team's survival. Here, everybody actually willingly interacted with each other. They'd joke, make comments, and it gave the craziest illusion of a normal jounin mission.

Squad White had actually been together for a long time, longer than most squads. This had led to something more than comradeship. But of course, it had all started with Wolf, who had led them all to their survival with his guidance. And for that, the squad had a deep loyalty to their captain, deeper than most that Naruto knew. And if showing emotion and interacting with each other, willingly or not, will keep their Taichou away from insanity, they'll do it.

It was something that always amazed Naruto, how deep loyalty could run.

Despite the cold temperature, and the frost settling on the dirt ground and foliage, Naruto wasn't tired. He sat down next to the fire, his back propped up by a unusually thick bamboo tree. Settling into a comfortable spot, he repositioned his katana next to him for easy access, and just sat, staring at the fire.

But of course, Naruto being the 10 year old he really was, was easily distracted by a small _something_ falling down from the sky and onto his gloved hand. Naruto stared at the tiny… snowflake -_snowanindividualmassoficecrystalssnow_- on his hand. The tiny dust bunny hasn't melted, as it had found a perfect place, a surface of cold leather.

Gradually, more of the… snowflakes fell down from the dark cloudy sky, tinted red from the red flames reflecting off the pure white. The things fell down gently, and landed on the cold ground. Naruto felt an odd disappointment seeing some of them melt near the fire.

_Could it be… snowing?_

A small part of him soared with _sheer joy _at witnessing snow. A part of him that he hasn't touched for a long time. Konoha was a naturally hot climate, with only 2 seasons: hot and rainy. It never snowed there, but apparently it did, in Cloud.

Despite himself, Naruto slowly held up a hand and gripped his mask. Some of the Squad appeared surprised at this, as both Hyena and Cat looked curiously in his direction. Naruto readjusted it to the side of his head, his blue eyes staring up at the sky.

Then, he smiled. And it was such a timid yet happy smile, something so unlike the Jaguar that the squad knew, that they were suddenly struck with how young their new member was. Because they knew there had to be a reason why they'd always worry more about him than anyone else. Why Hyena still called him rookie, practically out of sheer habit now. Why, despite his skills, the squad all felt the desire to both respect him and protect him at the same time. There was just something about him that seemed so…

"Santa's lap is always open, you know…" Hyena faltered, grinning suggestively at Jaguar.

_So innocent._

Naruto laughed. "No thanks. I don't go for obese old men."

Hyena huffed with mock-annoyance. "You think you're funny, eh? Sorry, rookie. I'm a frickin' ball of sunshine! You'll hafta do better than that."

_You know… I'm starting to really hate that guy. _

/Huh… I think he's starting to grow on me./

…_..?!?_

/Never mind…/

Mistaking Naruto's sudden silence as first mission nerves, Hyena laughed again, to everybody's exasperation.

"Stop being such a noob, rookie. First missions are usually ridiculously easy. Nothing goes wrong." he said reassuringly(not.)

Naruto ignored him. "I'm going to take some zzz's. Wake me up when it's my call."

"'Kays, night Jaguar." Cat said with a yawn, stretching in a cat-like way. And people actually wondered why she picked that particular animal…

He grabbed his katana and slung it over his shoulder, before heading to the tent. Deliberately ignoring the other apparently sleeping forms, he practically collapsed on his own area. He stared up at the ceiling of the tent, a plain black with crisscrossing fibres for protection, for what felt like hours but really seconds. But eventually, his eyelids began to feel mercifully heavy, and Jaguar fell into a restless sleep.

___________________________________________________________________

**~xXx~ VII Feelings in the Snow**

___________________________________________________________________

_Complete darkness. My eyes blink wearily but all I could see was black. Infinitely black. For some reason, that doesn't scare me like it should. _

_A wave of sleepiness hits me and I close my eyes. I feel… pleasantly warm. But something wet is falling on my cheeks. And as curious as I was, I couldn't find the will in me to open my eyes again. The wet… drops (?) run down my cheek. _

_The world was mute against my ears, yet I could hear a choking sound behind me. Was somebody dying? No… Whatever the noise was, it sounded really sad. Then it hit me. Was somebody crying? Desperate to know, I force my eyes open, but this time, I don't see the darkness. All I could see was blue. Like the sky. _

_And a voice -so quiet, so sad- breaks through the silence, a whisper in my ear. _

"_Good night, Naruto."_

Ironic as that may be, Naruto's eyes snapped open. He blinked rapidly, looking warily around the unfamiliar surroundings. Then, the recent memories hit him like a jolt. Ah right, he was on an ANBU mission.

He rubbed his temples. That was probably the strangest dream he's ever had. And that voice sounded so familiar, it was at the tip of his tongue. Strangely enough, Kyuubi wasn't saying anything either. But hell, he's been strange the entire time he's been in ANBU so maybe the fox is just going through some weird fox phase. Or he was just sleeping. Whatever works.

Staring at his pillow, Naruto considered going back to sleep. After a few seconds, he shrugged and tugged on his boots before opening the tent flap and walking outside. It was still snowing, and the small crystal flakes woke him up properly. Either that or the scenery. Naruto couldn't help but stare at the raw beauty of nature at its fullest. The layer of newly fallen snow, draped over the ground and trees like the planet's own large fluffy blanket.

Small streaks of orange and blue raced along the clouds, the first sign of the sky in days. It was just sunrise, meaning that he had woken up just a few minutes before his guard watch, at 6:00a.m. Meaning, of course, that…

Naruto looked around the camp, before finally seeing what appeared to be a large spiky snow hill. It was amazing how a single white cloak could drastically help in camouflaging against the whiteness. Ookami was sitting propped up against a bamboo tree, his white cloak that represented him as an ANBU Captain wrapped around his shoulders which, combined with his silvery hair, creating an effective concealment in the snow.

Ookami was reading his orange book tucked away behind his knee because of its bright coloring. He didn't appear to notice when Naruto approached him, walking above the snow. (After all, ice is technically water particles, so snow walking is very similar to water walking)

Naruto had no idea why he approached the Wolf Captain. Maybe he was just that damn bored.

"Aren't you suppose to be like, y'know, looking out into the trees?" Naruto piped up from beside Ookami, his voice slightly muffled by his red scarf.

_Flip. _"Yes. Yes, I am."

Twitch. Naruto slids down onto the cold ground beside Ookami, not really knowing what else to do. His blue eyes began to wander, drinking in the beautiful scenery with revelling blue eyes.

"So, Jaguar, how is your wife?"

Naruto broke out of his gaze, his eyes snapping back to Ookami, who was still idly reading that mysterious orange book. Wife…? Well, he didn't know. It wasn't like h-WAIT WHAT?!

------ FLASHBACK

_When you think you are ready, you may join ANBU. The man listed was for Pantera went off duty because his wife was pregnant. He doesn't exist, obviously. _

_Happy Birthday_

_(Burn the notes after you've done reading them)_

------ FLASHBACK END

Naruto cursed in all the colourful languages he knew. (Japanese, English, and some Spanish)

/**Oi**… What's with the mouth, human?!/

_Oh, NOW you're awake… I think I should've made myself look a bit older.._

Silence.

/Oh, so that's what happened. Better answer quick, before the Wolf gets suspicious, huhuhuhuhuhu./

"Oh, she's doing fine." Naruto answered as calmly as he could manage.

"Why are you even having a family, when most shinobi don't even consider it?"

_What is this, 10 Questions?!_

"B-because… I love…her.." Naruto answered awkwardly, fumbling over the words.

_Flip_. "…How did you fall in love with her?"

Now, Naruto was thoroughly confused. Was this an interrogation or something? Could Ookami already be suspicious of him? Dammit, he knew he should've gone for 26 instead of 18.… Those thoughts were quickly repressed as he went over the next problem: _What the hell was he suppose to say now?!?_

/Stop panicking, human! The water's getting really choppy in here. Okay, I have a plan. I'm going to tell you what to say, and you'll repeat it, got that human?!/

_Er, right._

_/_It was-/

"It was the first glances, I guess…" Naruto began, his hand unthinkingly scratching the back of his head. "I would see her everyday, and it was a normal occurrence. But I'd always look forward to them, as if that glance was the climax of my entire day."

Naruto paused, coughing self consciously. "And… it would always confuse me," he began again, with a small laugh. "Why those memories would seem special. Why she would seem special."

_Okay, that's enough of the sappy speech, fox!! I think he gets it now._

/No, he doesn't, human. Now, you would-/

_Seriously, why can't I just say a simple sentence?!_

/For an empath, you're really stupid. Wolf isn't being suspicious of you. Your Taichou obviously has some romance problems, human. That's why he's asking you, a supposedly newly wed husband./

_Aww, I didn't know you were a romantic, fox. Hehe_

/I'm reading it off a book. **NOW CONTINUE/**

"Go on…" Ookami drawled.

Naruto glanced at his Taichou. His eyes (or what he could see of them) were still fixed on his book, although he hasn't turned a page in a while. He actually was really listening to this… wow.

"Erm, w-well.." Naruto choked. "I'd find my thoughts always straying to her. My heart would race…. And there would be this strange feeling in your chest that grows and grows until it's practically painful. When her happiness makes you smile…. When her pain is your pain…. That's when you know you love her, and…"

**/PAUSE DRAMATICALLY!/ **

Naruto clamped his mouth shut for a few seconds. And there was only the sound of the crackling fire in the camp, and the strangest feeling at the back of Naruto's neck, as he felt Ookami's eyes staring at him.

"…_.._And… and your life was now hers." Naruto finished, unable to hold in a sheepish laugh.

_Oh my god, fox. That was so beautifully sappy. What kind of book are you reading?!_

/Twilight by Stephanie Meyer./

…….

After Naruto's last sentence, he fell into silence. Ookami simple said nothing, and outwardly continued reading his book. But the seemingly peaceful moment was broken as Jaguar suddenly choked out a laugh before snapped a hand to his mouth under the mask. Ookami watched in silence as he slowly regained his composure.

"S-so…" Naruto choked out. "Why all the questions?"

Under the Wolf mask, Kakashi's eye formed into an upside down U. "No reason. You…. remind me of someone, that's all."

"Oh, okay.." Naruto said, not really knowing what to say. A sudden small vibration made Naruto look down, digging into his pockets and pulling out a watch. It was 6:00am.

"Hey Taichou, it's my time now."

Ookami gave a small tilt of his head in acknowledgement before standing up, and brushing snow off his shoulders. Naruto gave a small lazy wave as he passed him by before continuing to stare off in the snow laden bamboo forest.

God forbid if Naruto had the curiosity to see his Taichou's aura right now. It was a dizzying mass of black, silver, and blue. Ookami walked up slowly to the campfire, staring at it's flickering flames. The Wolf mask looked to be a fearsome sight in the glow of the fire, it accenting the expressionless slitted holes for eyes.

But behind the mask, a single eye was furrowed in a swirl of confusing emotions. The sickening feeling of déjà vu. It had to be coincidence, right? Only coincidence…

**----- FLASHBACK**

"Helloooo, Kakashi….?" A voice whined.

Kakashi blinked, breaking out of his thoughts. A hand was waving in front of his face. He grabbed it, before shooting an exasperated stare at Namikaze Minato, the soon to be Hokage, and his sensei.

"What is it, sensei?"

Minato scowled, and Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"Now is not the right time to daydream, Kakashi!!" Minato exclaimed, rustling Kakashi's spiky hair with one hand. Kakashi gave another half hearted glare at him under his now messier silver locks, and Minato grinned mischievously.

"Sensei….. What did you want to talk about?"

Suddenly, Minato's face fell, and he bit his lip. Not used to seeing such a withdrawn expression on the usually cheerful man, Kakashi immediately perked up, and looked up at him with a worried expression.

"Sensei…?"

"I… I-I'm…" Minato's voice broke.

Suddenly, Minato grabbed Kakashi's shoulders with both hands and began shaking him repeatedly, ignoring his bewildered expression.

"Kakashi!!!! WHAT SHOULD I DO?!?" Minato howled, anime tears falling from his eyes.

"W-wait, wait!!" Kakashi exclaimed, trying valiantly to free himself from his distraught sensei's grip. "What happened?!"

Minato took a deep breathe to calm himself down, his fingers automatically twirling nervously between themselves. Kakashi was suddenly reminded of his various female academy classmates, who would avert their eyes and twirl their fingers, before confessing their apparent love. He hoped this was not the case.

"I'm… I'm going to ask Kushina to marry me!" Minato confessed anxiously.

_Oh. _Kakashi blinked. "Then why are asking guidance from a 13 year old?"

"W-well…."

"Look…" Kakashi said, rolling his eyes again. "Do you love Kushina?"

"Well, y-yes…" Minato fumbled.

"How did you fall in love with her?"

Minato jumped at the question, but didn't hesitate to answer.

"She was my academy classmate, and sat in front of me…." he began nervously, his hand unthinkingly scratching the back of his head, a trait he always did when he was feeling awkward. "She was loud, enthusiastic, and the class prankster…"

"Go on…" Kakashi drawled, making a motioning gesture.

"I didn't really like her at first.. But her attitude eventually got to me. She was so determined to get stronger, and I'd always see her at the training grounds. We would spar often."

Minato soon got over his nervousness, and a small smile was playing on his lips.

"I guess we got closer like that. And then one day, I asked her why she wanted to become a shinobi. She said: 'She was going to show the entire world that girls could be as good as guys. That not all girls were destined to be medic nins, or genjutsu specialists.' Then she grinned at me before punching me in the face, knocking me to the ground. I was so surprised that I just looked at her with a dumb expression. She laughed at me and said, 'And since you're the class genius, I guess my dream is to kick your ass!!' "

Kakashi, having never heard the story before, laughed softly. Minato, however, was in another world, and closed his eyes. The content smile was still on his face, and right now, he wasn't a cold hearted murderer. He wasn't the man known to all as a seals master, the incredible genius born every generation, the soon-to-be Hokage, or even the Yellow Flash. He was just a love sick 23 year old.

"And I think that was the time I started to love her…." Minato faltered, opening his eyes and laughing sheepishly.

Kakashi shook his head in frustration. Sometimes, his sensei could be the most stupid person in the entire village. And considering Gai, his so called rival who Kakashi suspected to be suffering from a permanent, mind altering genjutsu, that was saying something.

"Sensei…." Kakashi said with a slight growl. Minato blinked owlishly as Kakashi grabbed his wrist and pulled him to his feet. He opened the door before turning back to his sensei.

"But I caaan't do it, Kakashiii…." Minato whined piteously, digging his feet into the ground as Kakashi forcefully pushed him out of his chair.

"Do what?"

Both of them whirled around to the door to see a woman at the entrance, her hand just raised up to knock at the door. She wore the traditional jounin uniform with the hitai-ate attached to her arm and had long and straight red hair with bangs clipped to the side of her face. Her bright green eyes were narrowed suspiciously at the two.

Minato's face both paled and blushed furiously, if that was possible. "K-Kushina…."

Seeing Minato temporarily distracted, Kakashi, with a sudden burst of chakra, pushed Minato out with a violent shove. Kushina and Minato both yelped as he fell on top of her, leaving them in a very suggestive position on the ground.

"Well, I'll leave you two love birds alone, then." Kakashi said in amusement. He slammed the door.

A few minutes later, Kakashi heard a happy squeal from outside his apartment.

**------ FLASHBACK END**

Ookami sighed mentally. Only coincidence…

**------**

_And there would be this strange feeling in your chest that grows and grows until it's practically painful. When her happiness makes you smile…. When her pain is your pain…. That's when you know you love her, and…_

**---**

"_And I think that was the time I started to love her…." Minato faltered, opening his eyes and laughing sheepishly._

**------**

Ookami pulled open his orange book, and flipped to the last page. Taped to the back of the book was a small photo of 4 people. The tallest one had bright, spiky blonde hair and was grinning at the camera, his eyes turned up in a U shape. His eyes strayed to the one on the left, a small boy with short black hair and orange-tinted goggles. And then there was him, both eyes glaring at the camera with a they-forced-me-so-laugh-and-I'll-kill-you look. His gravity defying silver hair barely tickled the chin of the blonde one.

Kakashi closed his eyes momentarily before looking to the last person on the picture. She had medium length brown hair and peculiar rectangular tattoos on both cheeks. The girl was smiling innocently at the camera.

"Rin…"

**~xXx~**

The morning sun shone through the bamboo leaves as the Squad took off for the main road. After days of dodging through branches and leaves, it was a bit refreshing to be walking on an actual road, despite the slow pace.

The only thing Naruto was disappointed in was the fact that was that they were all wearing a henge. He had only seen the faces of Cat and Hyena, and it would be interesting to see everybody else's. But Ookami said that a henge was a lesser risk, since people could recognize them, or more specifically himself, in their real selves. Spiky white hair was a really uncommon hairstyle. So, everybody was disguised as normal looking people, with faces that would be easily forgettable, and wearing drab brown outfits that smelt like dirt and freshly cut wood.

Not that they were defenceless, as each had hidden a few weapons at various parts of their body, the ANBU were all paranoid like that. And even if somebody had discovered the knives, and various hidden weapons, it wasn't much of a big deal. It wasn't uncommon for travellers to carry weapons for self protection.

At that moment, Naruto was walking casually at the back of the group, chatting with the Kyuubi to pass the time.

….Well, that was a weird sentence. To be honest, he liked talking to him, as the demon lord had really interesting opinions about people. He still had to be wary though, as the Kyuubi sometimes slipped things into his sentences like:

/The next jutsu is a Suiton jutsu. All you have to do is focus on your hands in the water…. and maybegokillahumanandeatitsheart./

Or:

/Human, ramen is really not healthy. But you know, that little bird out the window looks a little tasty./

Or even:

/Shuriken are lighter than kunai, so you have to adjust naturally to the weight as you switch from between them./

_Right._

*throws shuriken*

SQUEEEALL!!

/Uh, what the hell was that?/

_Not sure…_

*checks bushes*

_Whoa, it's a dead rabbit…. Ugh, there's blood everywhere…_

/……/

_Uh, fox..?_

**/BLOOD!!/**

Apart from those…. urges, Kyuubi was an okay guy. But he still wasn't sure whether the niceness was a façade to get his trust or not. The images from his first 'bargain' with him still ran shivers down his spine. Foxes were natural tricksters, so he had to

be careful. But right now, he was having a pointless chat with him on a topic that had no connection to the color red of any kind.

_Ha, so even Taichou has romance problems….._

/He may be an ANBU captain, but he is human./

_I know, but still…. It's weird._

/On another note, you did put a kage bunshin to replace your 10 year old self, right? It's Monday today, meaning you have class right now./

…_..crap._

/You're joking, right?/

…_.no?_

/For a self proclaimed hidden genius, you are an idiot./

**~xXx~ **Konoha Academy 8:00am **~xXx~**

"Uchiha Sasuke." Iruka called out from his clipboard.

"Hn."

"EEEEKK!!!" screeched the fan girls. All of the guys recoiled from the noise.

Iruka barely flinched, accustomed to the near impossible high sound.

"Uzumaki Naruto." he called out.

There was the general chitchat from the class students, but no voice called out over the noise.

"Uzumaki Naruto…" Iruka repeated, a dangerous tone in his voice.

And, as if the entire class could feel the underlying tension radiating from their academy teacher, the students gradually faltered until an uneasy silence filled the room. Then, one by one, they all whirled their heads to the back of the classroom where a seat, normally occupied by the boisterous dead last, was vacant.

Iruka's face reddened drastically. "NARUTOOOO!!!!!"

**~xXx~**

_Well, it's too late for that, right? :D_

/Just hope he wouldn't burst into your room, human. The alarm seals could catch some unwanted attention./

_Mmmhmm….._

The trip on the main road went without incident, and the Squad soon found themselves in the town. Despite the biting coldness and the snow, the town was pretty lively, as it was just made up of civilians and farmers. Everybody seemed to smile at each other and wave. The buildings were small but numerous, and lined up side by side in a colourful row. There were occasional sights of a Cloud hitai-ate in the crowd, but they were always too far away to tell.

Naruto, Hyena, and Dove were walking aimlessly around the town, their feet crunching through the snow. They were suppose to be looking for the 'Red Lions' Hotel, where they would meet and regroup. The Squad had split up into two teams. Naruto thought it was a smart move. A large group of people travelling together and looking around with the eye of one not used to the town was bound to catch suspicion.

"Found it." Dove said, breaking Naruto out of his thoughts.

Naruto eyed the building. The title 'Red Lions' seemed really appropriate. The entire building was painted in a deep rusty red with golden linings, and peeled in some places over the years. A large lion was painted over the entrance.

The three were about to enter when Naruto paused near the door.

"You do have some money with you, right?" Naruto enquired to both of them. "Because I didn't bring any."

Hyena shrugged casually. "Don't need any."

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"You see," Dove explained, her voice still managing to stay soft despite her henge of a slightly old woman. "Hyena usually either pickpockets some, or _persuades_ them to book a room."

"But I don't need to." Hyena interrupted with a reassuring grin. Or what Hyena thought was reassuring. It looked plain creepy on his disguise, a kind looking old man. Naruto had a sudden urge to punch him in the face.

"Why?" Naruto asked, his right hand twitching.

"Because," Hyena said, in a superior tone. "We have you, instead."

And with that, Hyena flipped Naruto's hood over his head.

"Release your henge." He ordered.

Naruto considered replying, but knew he wouldn't really get anywhere. So with a mental sigh, he released his henge carefully, so that there wouldn't be any smoke. He felt the familiar weight of his ANBU armour under his civilian clothes. The result was silent and took only a split second before Hyena took off the hood again, revealing his spiky blonde hair.

Naruto scowled momentarily at him, blowing his hair out from his face. The three entered the hotel, the bell above the door chiming softly.

"Play nice." Hyena whispered softly in his ear. He ignored him.

A teenaged girl with a brown ponytail looked up from the counter, and smiled politely at the two old couple (Dove and Hyena) before her eyes fell on the beautiful blonde in the middle of the group. There was an audible clatter as she dropped the pen she was holding. Naruto smiled nervously at her, and she was struck frozen by those deep, blue eyes, like a crystallized piece of the sky-

"Excuse me? Do you have a room open?" Naruto asked cheerfully, smiling softly and ignoring the rolling pen on the ground. His blue eyes scanned her shirt, and she blushed, before realizing he was reading her name tag. "Ano, Hana-san, right?"

The teenager, Hana stared dumbly at his smiling face before coming to her senses. "Y-yes. A room for 3..? Oh, let me check. E-excuse me…"

Her hands fumbled clumsily over the papers, and she blushed with embarrassment. On the other side of the counter, Naruto watched patiently as she flipped through the pages, oblivious to the fact that his staring was just making her more nervous.

"R-room 119 is open." Hana stammered, averting her eyes to the papers. Thus, she didn't see Naruto's winning smile or the _'old couple's' _mischievous grins.

"That will be 300 ryo per night." Hana finished, managing to regain composure.

Naruto momentarily frowned. According to Hyena, he was suppose to distract her enough so that they'd supposedly get a near free room. All he had managed to do was embarrass the counter lady by smiling. _Don't know how that happened. _What was he suppose to do now?

/She has a small scar on her neck./

_Well that was random, even for you, fox. What does that have to do with anything?_

/Touch it./

…_Say what?_

/Touch it and smile for kami's sake. Don't question me, human./

Naruto blinked before quickly reaching across the desk and gingerly touching the small scar on the lady's neck. Hana froze. Literally. Naruto could hear her heart skipping a few beats.

"That looks like a painful scar, Hana-san." Naruto commented.

_Play nice. Play nice. Play nice._

With sudden inspiration, Naruto leaned over the counter, his face a few inches from Hana's face. He looked up at her reddening face with intense blue eyes, filled with concern.

Behind Naruto, the old man whistled softly, the sound so low it was barely heard, except for Naruto and Dove.

"Excuse me for asking, but what happened?" Naruto asked softly, his warm breathe tickling her chin.

"W-well…" Hana babbled, her heart fluttering in her chest. "The neighbours were playing catch outside in the backyard… and the ball accidentally crashed through my bedroom window…"

Naruto slowly withdrew his left hand to his back where Hyena silently dropped a piece of paper. He gripped the paper before slowly depositing the 5 ryo paper bill in her hand, which moved automatically and deposited it into the cash register and handed back a key. All of this he did as he smiled at Hana, seemingly attentive to her explanation.

"-om rushed me to the hospital, even though it was really just a small cut, and-"

Impatient, Hyena started hacking loudly, interrupting her. Naruto mentally rolled his eyes before rushing to the 'old man's' side and patting his back tenderly. Dove hid a small smirk behind her hand.

"Sorry, Hana-san. We have to go now." Pause. "_Tou-san _must be tired after his trip." Naruto said with an apologetic tone.

Hana nodded absentmindedly, clasping her mouth shut but watched the trio's retreating back with a small sigh.

The trio hurried up the stairs. Hyena waited until the three were alone in the stairway before laughing uproariously, numbing Naruto's eardrums. Nevertheless, Naruto ignored him, trying to figure out this new discovery. When he was talking to Hana, her aura had turned red, the same red as when he had first met Hinata. Maybe a little bit darker, though. He hasn't determined all of the colors yet, and red was a particular mystery.

"That was pure gold, rookie!" Hyena exclaimed, patting a disgrunted Naruto on the shoulder. "Pure gold. I knew you were a natural!"

"It's not a big deal. Anyone can smile." Naruto said flatly. "But hey, here's our room!" he added, changing the subject.

Naruto whipped out the key and opened the door. The two piece room was small but elegant and had an unsurprisingly red theme to it. The walls were painted a rich red with black borders. There were asian styled chairs with red cushions positioned around a basic black table and two twin beds with a black head frame on one wall with a basic kitchen on the other. Inside the door near the entrance was a small bathroom, complete with a shower, two sinks, and, to Naruto's amusement, a hair straightener. The bathroom had a slight nature theme with light brown walls, various plants on the counter and picture frames of wildlife. Overall, it had a distinct relaxed tone.

Hyena didn't seem to have the same admiration of the room, as he dumped his stuff on the nearest bed, before collapsing on it. Likewise, Dove double checked the room for cameras and such before giving a salute to Naruto. Said person wondered vaguely why she saluted to him and not Hyena as he was the more experienced member, but he shrugged.

Naruto unloaded his things on the table but kept the dagger in his boot, and the various weapon scrolls and seals in his pockets. With a quick motion, Naruto pressed a hand to the wall. His eyes turned a dark black, and the cross shaped pupil began whirring gently before they closed in concentration.

Having already known a vague amount of information on the kuroibaragan, (Jaguar had quickly explained it to the Squad beforehand) Dove and Hyena waited patiently as Naruto scanned the entire hotel.

Finally, his hand let go of the wall, and Naruto turned to the other members.

"The Red Lions hotel seems to be pretty popular, and they were almost booked solid, but I managed to get a lock on Ta-"

Naruto stopped suddenly, before throwing a paper silencing seal on the door.

"Anyway, I managed to get a lock on Taichou's location. He's above us in room 220. So, let's go, shall we?"

Dove and Hyena nodded and they left back out the door. Naruto hesitated as he closed the door, and whipped out 3 paper seals from his pocket and attached them to the door. They dissolved into the wood in a small blue flash. Basic alarm seals, just in case.

Naruto caught up to the group as they walked quickly up the stairs. Apart from Naruto, they were still wearing their henges of an old couple, and as such, they had to hobble up the stairs. It took an agonizing long time until they finally reached room 220.

Naruto came up to the door, and knocked three times before it opened, revealing a middle aged man. The man looked warily up at the trio before inviting them in with a small gesture.

The second the door closed, the trio felt four katana blades pressed menacingly at their throats. There was a puff of smoke, as all the seemingly harmless middle aged men turned back into 4 ominous but familiar Konoha ANBU: Squirrel, Cat, Eagle, and Ookami himself.

"Release your henge." Cat stated.

Naruto felt a distinct feeling of déjà vu as he released the henge of his civilian clothes. He soon both felt and saw the warm red scarf wrapped around his neck. Naruto also distinctly heard a pop as Hyena and Dove appeared in a puff of smoke behind him.

Cat immediately pressed a finger to each of their masks attached to their belt one by one. Naruto had to repress a sudden urge to whip his head around to see Dove's face, before Cat pressed a finger to his mask as well. Even though the Konoha symbol glowed briefly on the mask, the katanas remained at their necks.

"Question, Dove. What do the ANBU call me at headquarters?" Ookami stated.

Dove replied automatically. "We all call you Zapper, sir."

Ookami's mask turned to Naruto. "Jaguar. When you approached me last night to relieve me of guard duty, what was the first question you asked me?"

Naruto paused for a second before answering. "My exact words were: _Aren't you suppose to be like, y'know, looking out into the trees?_"

Seemingly satisfied, Ookami turned to Hyena but before he could ask a question, Hyena interrupted him.

"A few days ago, after my first spar with the rookie, you came with us to the hospital, apparently just coming back from a mission. You looked like shit, by the way." he added. "Then along the way, you bought 4 daffodils from the flower shop and ditched us before going to the ment-"

Hyena stopped abruptly when Ookami suddenly threw a shuriken and Naruto heard the thump of the metal imbedding in the wall.

"That's enough, Hyena." Ookami interrupted with amusement.

"Sorry, sir."

Naruto was surprised when he heard Hyena actually sound apologetic, and he chanced a glance behind him. The shuriken had missed Hyena by a hair, and dug halfway in the wall, crackling occasionally with electricity. _Note to self, never interrupt the Taichou. _

The katanas lowered, and Naruto quickly attached the ANBU mask. Glancing behind, he saw that Dove had already donned on her mask as well, to his slight disappointment. She gave him a strange look before turning to Hyena and holding a glowing green hand over his cheek. The superficial cut closed.

"Are you okay, Hyena?" Dove asked in mock concern.

Hyena grinned, before donning on his mask as well. "You kidding? I'm a frickin' ball of sunshine!"

The reply must've been said many times, because Cat whacked him on the head.

Dove turned to Ookami. "Are we going to meet with the informant, sir?"

Ookami waved a disk in his hand. "Already did. I taped him."

Everybody gathered around the small T.V set as Ookami popped the disk into the DVD player. He grabbed the remote and turned the T.V on, and the screen turned a deep blue before playing the video.

The video itself was in a surprisingly high quality for a spy camera, and, judging by the constant small movements and high view, was probably attached somewhere on the head, or on an ANBU mask.

The screen flickered before playing.

_It was dark, and there was the general muttering of people in the background. The air was kind of hazy with smoke, and the camera was facing a large shelf of various colourful bottles. They were in a bar. _

_A man sat next to Ookami. He was scruffy looking, with a slight beer belly, a rough beard, and a cigar in his mouth. He wore a large cap that hid most of his face, but it didn't cover his eyes, which were darting through the room. Judging by his posture, the man was extremely edgy. _

_Ookami poured some sake into his cup before taking a long swig._

"_Haven't seen you before." Ookami said to the man. "Traveller? I just came here myself, mostly to see the bamboo forests this season." _

"_No. Visiting my cousins." The man replied in a surprisingly calm voice. "Don't really like bamboo, though. I prefer cedar trees. Better for firewood." _

"_Here." Ookami offered, pouring the man some sake. He accepted it with a grunt._

"_Do you have the information?" Ookami whispered in a low voice, too quiet for most to hear from a distance._

_The man jumped slightly. "N-not so loud!" he hissed._

"_I have my squad stationed around the bar. There's no chance for anyone to be listening in. Now, do you have the information?"_

"_Yeah. There were confirmed sightings of a large group meeting in another pub like this one, called 'Martin's Joint.' They meet there around every week, and unlike you and your squad, don't use those henges. Here are pictures I managed to take of them, you'll see they match most of the missing nins reported in the group."_

_The man inconspicuously handed Ookami a large and bulky envelope, who tucked it quickly into his jacket. _

"_Anything else?"_

"_Yeah. Most of them are around chunin level, but I know that there are at least 3 of them that used to be jounin. The group themselves count out to at least 8 people."_

_Ookami gave a small nod, before throwing a few coins on the counter. The camera fizzled into darkness. _

"Any questions?" Ookami enquired, popping the disk out from the DVD player.

"He seems nervous." Naruto commented. "But I guess that's understandable."

"I've seen Martin's Joint before," Hyena added. "Cool place."

Everybody else nodded in agreement. Ookami, seeing that nobody else was going to say anything, broke the disk into several pieces before throwing it into the trash.

"So, what now?" Cat asked.

Ookami took out a large envelope and took out the contents, and arranged them on the table. There were various photos of the group. Naruto immediately recognized connected some of the faces to the list of missing nins from before. Most of them had cleverly disguised themselves with makeup, wigs, and had dyed their hair, but it was still unmistakable.

"Now. We're going to have to do some surveillance work and tail our targets." Ookami said, gesturing to the photos. "One of us is going to have to confirm that the group has been at Martin's Joint. I'm taking no chances, we'll have to be certain. The bar is our only lead where our targets have been so one of my nindogs, probably Pakkun, is going to have to come with that person, and sniff out for a group that's been there for repeated occasions."

"Right. Who will do that then?" Naruto asked.

Everybody stared back at him.

Naruto groaned. "You have go to be kidding."

"Nope." Ookami said cheerfully. "From what I've seen, you have the natural talent to get information. Also, you are one of the newest members, and as so, aren't well known yet. So Jaguar, your mission is to go to Martin's Joint with a nindog, and gather enough information to confirm that our targets have been there. Got that?"

"Yes sir." Naruto replied monotonously.

**~xXx~**

Hyena swung an arm casually over Naruto's shoulder.

"Come on, rookie. Chat with some people, show some skin, flirt, it ain't that hard." he exclaimed with a large grin.

Naruto looked up blankly at the pub. Assassinating people was one thing, but flirting…. That was a totally different area. What was with people and the color blue anyway? It's like, they take one look at his eyes and suddenly they start to bend to his every will. Maybe he should get contacts…

/snort. Just go, human. This should be entertaining…/

Shoving Kyuubi's voice out of his mind, Naruto glanced down to the 'nindog' that was suppose to follow him inside. The dog was small, a pug to be exact, and had the most bored expression on his face. As if it could feel his stare, the pug looked up at him.

"What is it, kid? You want to feel my paw?"

Naruto had no idea what the dog meant, and so, didn't bother to reply. Taking a deep breathe, he boldly strode across the sidewalk and opened the pub door.

…_wait. Did that dog just talk?_

**~xXx~**

The entire squad, except for Jaguar of course, was lounging about in the Red Lions hotel, in Room 220. They were all waiting for their newest member's return, because once he comes back, they were to set out and track down the targets.

They hadn't bothered to put back on their henge, and were back to their usually appearance as the ANBU black ops. Everybody had already prepared, and were armed to the teeth just for the sake of looking intimidating. Except for Hyena, who was playing with a deck of cards, and Eagle who was daydreaming, all of them were holding some sort of weapon. Cat was twirling a kunai with one finger, Dove was playing with a senbon needle, Squirrel was idly making some paper explosive notes, and Ookami was polishing his katana.

The only person who looked out of place was the informant, who was sitting at the very corner of the room. Technically he wasn't suppose to be there, but he was so nervous that the 'enemy shinobi will murder him in his sleep because of his information' that he had actually asked to stay with them until they finished their job. You gotta hand it to him, to be so desperate as to willingly share a room with 6 assasins. He looked tense, and was suspiciously eyeing the kunai Cat was twirling on her pinky.

Suddenly, Ookami sheathed his katana and the Squad simultaneously looked to the door as it opened.

Jaguar came in, his mask already donned, with Pakkun trailing behind him, a small smirk on his doggy face.

"I got the information. The targets were confirmed to be there." Naruto reported swiftly.

Hyena checked his watch and made a small whine in disappointment. "Well, that only took like 15 minutes. What the hell did you do in there?"

Naruto ignored him but Pakkun snorted in amusement.

"Many things." Pakkun replied with a slight grin. "Anyway, I got a fix. There were two separate groups that have been to that pub numerous times. Both suspected targets had around 8 people."

Ookami gave a nod before turning to address the squad.

"Listen, since there are two potential groups, we're going to have to separate into 2 teams and follow them. If your team finds the wrong target, retreat back and head to the other team's direction. If your team finds the right target, either wait for back up or go in and finish the mission. If there is an 80% chance or above that your team could finish the mission without back up, you have my permission to go on ahead."

"Yes, sir!" Everybody saluted.

"One more thing. Since we'll have to somehow contact each other to confirm if we have the targets or not, here are some earpieces. Once you confirm the target, press the side button and speak into it. It's not that complicated." Ookami handed out small headsets, which everybody immediately attached onto their ear.

Ookami turned back to Pakkun. "Do you know where the two trails were heading?"

Pakkun nodded. "Yeah. I believe that one went somewhere to the edge of a lake, on the east side of town, but I'm not entirely sure. The other trail went in the opposite direction, probably in that tall bright green apartment complex I saw from the distance."

"A tall bright green apartment complex?" Squirrel repeated in puzzlement.

Ookami sighed. "I knew we should've done a surveillance of the town. Does anyone know where this 'bright green apartment' is?"

There was silence. But suddenly, an unexpected voice piped up.

"Uh, I think I know what you're talking about. You're talking about the Lincoln's Gate Complex, right? It's a bright green apartment complex near the western edge of town." piped up the informant, nervously chewing on his cigar.

Everybody turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

Suddenly, Ookami clapped his hands together. "Okay, then! I'm changing the plan slightly. Pakkun has the general idea of where the lake is, and will go with Team 1 to find the group near the east. The _informant here _will go with Team 2, and lead them to the green apartment complex where the second group is."

The informant's face paled drastically but nobody cared, really.

"One more thing. Since we'll have to somehow contact each other to confirm if we have the targets or not, here are some earpieces. Once you confirm the target, press the side button and speak into it. It's not that complicated." Ookami handed out small headsets, which everybody immediately attached onto their ear.

"We leave now. Once again, Team 1 will be Squirrel, Cat, Eagle, and Pakkun. They will search the lake area with Pakkun. Team 2 will be Hyena, Dove, and myself. We will search the green apartment with the informant. I'm not going to repeat myself again. Any questions?"

Everybody was silent, even the informant, who was gaping in terror.

"Good, now let's-"

"Oi." Everybody looked at Jaguar, who was half raising his hand in surprise. This was a first, the rookie was usually silent and/or moody, and he had a healthy respect of the Taichou so it wasn't often that he would interrupt the Captain.

"Yes?" Ookami asked calmly.

"I know that you're not all used to the idea of a new member yet, and I understand that." Jaguar said in an mock-endearing tone. Hyena snorted under his breathe. "But what team am I going to be in exactly?"

There was a brief awkward moment of silence as the entire Squad finally realized that they had completely forgotten him.

"Whoops." Ookami admitted, with no tone of regret in his voice. Naruto had a sudden urge to either throw something or burst out laughing. He did neither. "Jaguar, you will be in Team 2 with Hyena, and Dove with the informant. I'll go with Team 1-"

"Wait, what?!" The entire squad tensed. It was bad enough that Taichou had been interrupted. It was worse that he has been interrupted three times in a row. And considering the many times he's been interrupted during their journey here, it must be a new record. Ookami turned slowly to the informant -for who else would it have been?- and the temperature got knocked down a few more degrees.

"Yes?" He said in that same cheerful tone. For some reason, that happy tone was more intimidating than anything else Naruto has ever heard.

The informant (Naruto really has to learn his name one day) paused, but seemed to gather up his courage. "Yo-you are sending me into dangerous territory! The Captain of this squad has to at least…"

Ookami cocked his head towards him. "Are you implying that my team isn't good enough for your protection?" he asked with a sudden growl. The temperature dropped to sub-zero, and the entire squad was frozen, watching the exchange.

"I-I… no I'm just.."

"You done? All you're going to do is guide Team 2 to their destination. Nothing dangerous about that." Ookami said matter of factly. He turned back to the Squad, who immediately looked up. "You all have your orders, Squad White. Let's go."

Ookami, Cat, Squirrel, and Eagle left quickly out the window, with Pakkun trailing after their heels. This left the rest of the Squad alone in the room with the sweating informant.

"Well, that was interesting." Dove commented.

Narut turned to the rest of the group. "We should get going, y'know." With a small puff of smoke, he made a kage bunshin, who quickly picked up the informant, who didn't even protest as he slung him along the back. The clone gave a sort of glare at Naruto as he walked past him to the window.

"Get used to it." Naruto said with a slight grimace. _Yeah, sorry clone, I don't like touching sweaty skin neither_. Not really knowing what to say, Dove and Hyena ran after the kage bunshin and jumped out the window. Naruto took one last glance at the room before following them.

Naruto hasn't noticed this before, but night has fallen already, and the cold clawed at his skin and causing goose bumps to run along his arms. The moon shone brightly in the cloudless sky, illuminating the blanket of snow covering the town. If somebody looked up at that moment, they would see shadowy figures jumping out in the rooftops but they were gone so quickly, one wouldn't dismissed it as a trick on the eye.

Team 2 travelled silently through the rooftops, being careful not to disturb the snow. Naruto hasn't seen a single green apartment so far but he wasn't surprised. The apartment itself was suppose to be at the near west edge of town, and besides, who actually has the stupidity to paint an apartment bright green? It probably looked ridiculous.

/Says the one who wears bright orange…/

_True. Orange would look worse on a building._

/…../

Naruto was suddenly aware of the thumping of his heart, which was pounding loudly in his head. Was he nervous? Or maybe he was just picking up the informant's anxiousness. Even still, this was his first mission after all. His fist closed around the handle of his katana, slung over his shoulders. There was a bubbling feeling in his stomach, like dread, only in a good way…. if that made sense.

"Scared, rookie?" Hyena asked from behind him. He didn't answer. Strangely enough, it never occurred to Naruto to be scared. Queasy? Yes. He hasn't killed someone in his entire 10 year old life. Something in his mind was screaming at him to back away, and just leave. That this wasn't worth it, even for power, even for his dream. But then, what would he have left, if he didn't have his dream? For his entire afterlife, (the title he dubbed after that night's incident, when everything changed.) all he has done was training. This was no different, except that the danger was real, that's all.

The queasy feeling in his stomach doubled, and Naruto had to fight down the urge to retch. Hell, they haven't even arrived yet. Where the hell was this feeling coming from?!

"A bit farther, p-past the butcher shop.." the informant stammered. Whether from the cold or nerves, Naruto didn't know. The man was practically radiating despair. How pessimistic could one get? Nevertheless, they quickened their pace.

Soon, they arrived at their destination. Scratch what he said before, bright green didn't make the building look ridiculous. The 3 story complex loomed over the group in a twisted creepy way that made your skin crawl. The same feeling you get when a clown passionately kisses your mom, or if you saw your dog humping your neighbour's cat from out the window.

…_. Whoa. I think Kano's rubbing of on me._

/Sharpen up, human, I'm getting a bad feeling about this./

_Gee, I wonder why. The full moon is out, it's cold as hell, I'm carrying a slobbering man over my shoulder, and we're about to enter the sausage factory. _

/The… sausage factory..?/

_Never mind._

Numerous lights were on in random windows, and Naruto could distinctly hear the sounds of laughter coming from one of the rooms. Naruto released his kage bunshin, and with a small yelp, the informant fell heavily onto the snow. He took one frightened look at the 3 before hurrying off. They all ignored him.

As forbidding as it seemed, they still had no idea how to check if their targets were in there or not. But before any of them could ponder the problem, the voice of Ookami rang out from their earpieces.

=/The target is not at the lakeside. I repeat, the target is not at the lakeside. Team 2, you have my permission to head in, over/=

=/Yes, sir. Over and out./= Naruto said, slightly amused. Truthfully, it felt kind of cool talking in 'radiospeak.'

"You sure that they're in there?" Hyena questioned out loud. Only after a while did Naruto realize he was addressing him.

"Do you see any other green apartment buildings?" Naruto retorted.

There was a pause of silence. Naruto took a deep breathe before continuing. "We'll have to do this quickly and silently. Taichou said that we can't leave any kind of hint that Konoha ninjas have been here. We'll have to take down all the residents, so nobody would know that somebody has been here for a specific target. Cloud will be less suspicious that way."

Dove and Hyena stared at him. "What?" he said.

"Nothing…" Dove said vaguely, reminding Naruto of Eagle. She withdrew two daggers from her belt, and Naruto realized then that she hasn't brought a katana with her, but 2 identical butterfly knives, which she held skilfully. Likewise, Hyena dramatically unsheathed his katana.

"You just sounded like Taichou for a second, rookie." Hyena commented with a small smirk, answering his question. Naruto blinked, not entirely sure if that was a compliment or not, before also unsheathing his katana.

"There are 3 floors. We'll each have to take one. If you find the group, make a signal, and try not to do any moves that'll hint to Konoha. I'll take the third floor, Dove you take second, and Hyena, you take the bottom floor." Naruto had no idea why he was acting for leader or even why the other two were listening to him. But right now wasn't the time to ponder on that.

The three ANBU vanished in a blur.

Seeing as he was taking the third floor, Naruto ran across the rooftops before taking a wide jump, and landing on the side of the building with a small thump. He walked quickly up the third floor, before pushing open the window. Luckily, it was unlocked and Naruto soon found himself in a narrow hallway.

_Kyuubi…. _Naruto pleaded in his mind, his despair evident in his voice.

The fox closed his eyes. /Just this once, human. **But next time, I'm going to expect more from my host./**

Naruto closed his eyes, but it snapped open a second later. The blood red eyes of the nine tailed fox glowed in the dimly lit hallway. Naruto's hands formed into the seal of the tiger, glowing with a red chakra.

**Nehan Shoja no Jutsu (Temple of Nirvana Technique)**

The effect was immediate. A large scatter of white feathers fell down from the ceiling, raining down on the entire floor. Soon, only the light breathing was heard on the floor. Naruto stumbled, but held himself upright by a hand onto the wall, his eyes turning back into it's original blue color.

/Go./

Naruto regained his composure, letting out a small exhale before disappearing in another blur.

The rest of it was a haze of blood. Naruto had found entire families slumped on the floor around the dinner table, elderly couples lying side by side in their bed, teenagers unconscious next to the T.V, newly wed couples on their honeymoon…. All it took was a single throw of a kunai, a slit on their throats, or a simple snap of their necks and their lives would end, just like that. Somehow, Naruto regretted doing the sleeping jutsu in the first place. It was so easy to kill… Maybe he wouldn't feel so horrible if they had fought back, a small cut, a broken mask, anything.

It used to be cool to see somebody coming out of a fight, completely unharmed, with not a single speck of dirt or blood on his clothes. But as the last kunai flew, and the body's heart stopped, Naruto took one look at himself in the mirror, barely out of breathe, and completely _emotionless….._

He threw up in the corner.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ookami took one last look at the lake. No, there was definitely no evidence of anyone being here for the past month. The target had to be at Team 2's location, yet what was this nagging feeling at the back of his mind?

Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Scatter!" he yelled. Team 1 jumped up into the trees just in time as numerous kunai rained down from the sky, hitting the same spot they were all in previously.

As Ookami began doing numerous hand seals in midair, his mind was digesting everything at a fast pace. There was no possible way the enemies couldn't covered their tracks that fast. Meaning that they were waiting for them.. But how could they have known that they were being tracked?

Ookami caught a sudden sight of one of them, and his eyes narrowed before he expertly blocked a sudden hail of shuriken from behind with a kunai. The enemies… weren't his targets. The missing nins were all chunin and above, and these people had mediocre chakra coils, poor stances, and the shuriken were thrown clumsily, as if they really didn't know what they were doing. In short, they were doing a laughable imitation of a shinobi attack.

These weren't ninja, they were mercenaries, or even travelling robbers. Ookami almost rolled his eyes. They had probably spotted them and decided to try their luck. One thing was puzzling him though, they had thrown hail after hail of shuriken, and as clumsily thrown as they were, they had successfully forced the entire team back into the trees, away from the town. At first, he thought they were headed into a trap, but it wasn't so.

Everybody shared invisible looks of confusion as they dodged the projectiles, and retreating through the bamboo trees. When they came through the trees, nothing happened. Not one single trap.

These 'mercenaries' weren't gaining anything by making them lose ground. What could they possibl-

Shit.

Ookami hastily pressed a finger to his earpiece. Nothing. Static. They were out of range from the other group.

_Shit._

"Team, regroup. Formation D. We have to break through their ranks." Ookami ordered.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After a few seconds, Naruto was finally aware of loud scuffle from below him, at the lower floors. Ah, no wonder everybody on the third floor was asleep, none of them were the targets. They had to be in either Dove's or Hyenas. Suddenly, he heard somebody swear loudly. So it was the bottom floor then.

Naruto staggered upright. Right now was not the time for a breakdown. Forcing the sick feeling in his stomach into the deepest corner of his mind, Naruto hurried out the door and flew down the stairs.

Dove and Hyena were battling 5 enemies, and were apparently evenly matched. While the enemies lacked in experience and power, they made up in numbers, and attacked them with a sort of desperation. Naruto joined the fray, and took advantage of their surprise by stabbing the nearest one in the gut before kicking him off with a boot. He collided into the wall with a loud crash.

"Took you long enough, rookie!!!" Hyena yelled, in a midst of a fierce sword battle with another one. "We nearly got all of them already!"

With the sudden turn around, the enemy nins were quickly suppressed, and when Dove sliced off the head of one of the last 2, the last one seemed to panic, running into one of the rooms to escape.

Hyena started after him with a growl, with Dove at his heels. Naruto was about to follow them when he noticed a small girl from the corner of his eye, pushing herself off from the floor. She was sobbing loudly and making a beeline for the door.

Naruto had the sudden urge to let her go but knew that he couldn't do that. With a heavy heart, he took off after her. The girl was running with the strength of desperation, and by the time Naruto reached the door, she was already at the other side of the street, running towards the trees. Why she was running to the trees and not the town was a mystery, but Naruto chalked it up to panic.

Naruto grabbed a single shuriken from his holster, and threw it skilfully. It flew through the air before landing at the back of her skull. She collapsed on the ground with an audible thump.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hyena and Dove ran after the enemy with a breakneck speed. If even one of their targets escaped, the mission would be considered a failure, and Hyena knew for sure he could never look Taichou in the eye again for at least a week. With that thought, he pushed another wave of chakra into his legs, making a sudden leap for him.

The man had just entered the room when, with a snarl, Hyena whipped out a kunai and dug it into the man's back who let out a bloodcurdling scream before collapsing on the ground. Hyena was just staring down at the body with a look of satisfaction when Dove came into the room.

"You done? I guess the mission is a success then." Dove said, coming up to him.

Just then, the door slammed shut behind them. Their heads shot up in unison, and Dove came up, trying to open it. It stayed lock.

"What the hell…?" Dove swore, a rare moment.

Hyena snarled again. "Give me some room." Dove retreated to the other side of the wall.

"Tsuuga" Hyena yelled, before beginning to spin at a ferocious speed, turning into a sort of large tunnelling tornado. He rammed into the wall, but to both of their shock, didn't break through. Behind the concrete was a thick metal wall, like steel.

Dove looked around with sudden panic. The room was windowless, and apart from a partially destroyed couch and the bleeding corpse on the floor, it was completely bare.

"No wonder the guy went to this specific room!" Hyena growled, banging his hands repeatedly against the metal with large clanging sounds. "IT WAS A FUCKING TRAP!"

Dove collapsed onto the couch. "We should've seen this coming… The stupid informant must've been on this too. Did you see how nervous he was when Taichou changed into Team 1? He must've thought for sure that Taichou would've been in team 2, since he always did go into team 2, but never considered that we would have a new member. Taichou has a lot of ryo on his head… Crap, this entire thing was for his capture then."

Hyena stared at her. "I've never seen you talk this much before." he said.

Just as he said that, white smoke began filtering from the corners, quickly enveloping the entire room.

_Knock out gas. _Hyena thought, covering his mouth. Suddenly, a dreadful thought came to him. _If the two of them were captured here… then what about the rookie?! _

Hyena yelled into his earpiece, before both he and Dove fell into blissful consciousness.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto stared at the body of the girl with a numb look before walking forward. The body was lying spread eagled on the ground, a look of terror on her face. A puddle of blood was rapidly growing from under her body, staining the snow a pure blood red. Naruto took a breathe, before grabbing the shuriken and pulled. It came out easily, and he wiped the blood off quickly on the grass before placing it back into his holster.

Suddenly, Naruto was aware of a large banging sound coming from the apartment, like somebody hammering against something metal. Before he could ponder that, a loud voice screamed at him from the earpiece, making his blood run cold.

=/DAMMIT, ROOKIE. GET OUT OF THERE!!!!/=

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**TBC**

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*collapses on top of the keyboard*

I'm done.. I'M DONE!!!! This chapter anyway. 13,731 words. wow.

I'm sorry readers. I couldn't help but do a cliffhanger. XD I could only avoid them for so long

But that… was exhausting. Yet totally satisfying. Dammit, I need coffee…

*sips*

Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter. It took roughly 40 hours. (I get distracted finding battle music on youtube, and then end up watching fluffee talks) Some squirrel was messing up with the internet cables, so the chapter was posted a bit later than I originally intended to.

*sips*

I think I have a new hate for battle scenes. Takes 3x as much effort than anything else trying to make it sound interesting so people wouldn't just scrolling past them. God forbid the time I reach the chunin exams. I planned a few fights that I KNOW I'm going to have to do in detail. .

Okay. I'm having an inner conflict on if this particular character dies or not. Because his/her boy/girlfriend ain't going to be happy if she/he dies. But it increases drama and character development. And makes Naruto look uber cool. Sigh, it's a hard decision. Why am I telling you this? Let's just say the A/N at the bottom of the chapters is now my personal rant section.

*sips*

On a side note, I'm really starting to hate River Flows in You by Yiruma, just for the sole reason of Twilight fanatics believing it to be bella's lullaby and posting twilight-related comments under the video. Pisses me off like nothing else…

**R&R **

-black panda OTL


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